Neighbors work together to take down home intruder at 1 a.m., Louisiana cops say
A strange man seen walking out of a children’s bedroom in the dark was hospitalized after facing the wrath of a resident of the home and a neighbor, according to investigators in Louisiana.
The brawl happened around 1 a.m. on April 1, at a home in Houma, which is about a 60-mile drive southwest from New Orleans.
Fernando Colon-Aponte, 46, faces “numerous felony related offenses for his involvement in the incident,” the Terrebonne Parish Sheriff Office said in an April 3 news release.
“Residents were awakened by an intruder forcing his way into the home. When deputies arrived, they discovered (a man) being held down inside the residence by two men,” the sheriff’s office said.
“Aponte entered the home by breaking a window to the residence, where he entered ... a bedroom where young children were sleeping. The male resident confronted Aponte, which led to a fight between the two men. A close neighbor heard the disturbance and went to the residence, where he saw the fight taking place and helped his neighbor.”
The suspect was taken into custody “after a struggle” and driven to a hospital “for injuries associated with the incident,” the sheriff’s office said. Details of those injuries were not released.
An investigation revealed a business had also been burglarized in the area, and “evidence revealed a positive link to Aponte being responsible,” officials said.
He was arrested after being released from a hospital and charged with home invasion, resisting an officer, and attempted simple burglary and theft, officials said. He lives in Pascagoula, Mississippi, about a 165-mile drive northeast from Houma, officials said.
“I am grateful that no innocent victims were seriously injured as a result of this suspect’s reckless behavior, but this is a case that could have ended very differently,” Terrebonne Parish Sheriff Tim Soignet said in the release.
“Terrebonne Parish is a safer place because of the courage of our residents, and swift actions of our brave law enforcement community.”
This story was originally published April 7, 2025 at 6:54 AM with the headline "Neighbors work together to take down home intruder at 1 a.m., Louisiana cops say."