COVINGTON COUNTY, ALABAMA – A 95-year-old man successfully forced a criminal 55 years his junior from his home, according to the Covington County Sheriff Blake Turman. Timothy Ray Jordan, 40, is now charged with second and third-degree burglary and second and third-degree criminal mischief.
The Sheriff said that the elderly homeowner was napping in his living room of his home on Fisherman’s Road when he was awakened by the noise of shattering glass in his back door. The man armed himself and confronted the intruder, who was ransacking the home’s kitchen and threw a chair through the dining room window.
The senior citizen stood his ground and ordered the intruder to leave, which he did. The homeowner then called 911 to report the incident. Responding deputies spotted Jordan behind a Hub Road home, which he ran into when officers approached him. He was taken into custody at that residence, which he had also burglarized. He was booked into the Covington County jail without bond for probation violation and the investigation is still ongoing.
Commenting on the events, Sheriff Turman said, “The victim protected himself and his property from a career criminal. The victim was at a disadvantage physically, but his weapon enabled him to protect himself. The investigation revealed that Jordan fled the residence because the homeowner had armed himself. Thank God this had a good ending, and the victim should be commended on his courage and quick thinking.”
Firearms are often referred to as ‘equalizers’. In this case, it not only leveled the playing field between an older, physically weaker victim and a younger, stronger suspect, but it also gave the seemingly underdog a marked advantage and the ability to defend himself from an individual who could have done him great harm.