A Wilton Manors man trained in mixed martial arts said he relied only on his hands and faith to stop an intruder inside his family’s home early Saturday morning.
Speaking exclusively to CBS Miami on Tuesday, the man, who identifies himself as “Henny,” said his nephew woke him up frantically after discovering a stranger in their living room.
“I’m prepared. It’s not my first time. I don’t feel pain, nothing,” Henny said. “I don’t have guns, wasn’t looking for a knife. Just God and my hands, that’s it!”
Intruder confronted in living room
Authorities said the accused intruder, identified as Austin Carasani, appeared before a judge just hours after the confrontation.
Carasani’s face was visibly swollen and bruised from the encounter, showing he was no match for a trained fighter.
Carasani later told Wilton Manors police he had been drinking at a local club and was trying to go to a friend’s house nearby.
Family’s terrifying call
Henny’s sister, Patrizia Rojas, and her husband were out in Miami when they received a panicked call from their teenage son about the break-in.
“The guy was freezing and they started punching him in the face,” said Andreas Gomez, describing the scene.
Bond set at $20,000
No one answered at Carasani’s listed address in Deerfield Beach. As of Tuesday, he remained in the Broward jail on a $20,000 bond.
Despite the scare, Henny said he has no regrets about his response.
“Protect your family. There are a lot of crazy people out there who are looking for damage,” he said.
