Man, 79, disarms intruder with karate chop

A 79-year-old League City resident turned the tables on a would-be burglar, incapacitating him with a karate chop and then holding him until police arrived, investigators said.

Ervin Brittnacher was awakened by noises outside his home in the 3000 block of McFarland Road just before 6 a.m. Monday and walked over to investigate, said Lt. Bruce Whitten of the League City Police Department.

Brittnacher saw a man toting a rifle, a .223-caliber Ruger Mini-14, police said. The homeowner sprang into action, hitting him in the throat with the side of his hand, and then taking the rifle, Whitten said.

Brittnacher ordered the man to sit down and waited for police to arrive.

"That's a pretty stout old man," Whitten said. "I would not classify him as a feeble person from how he was so quickly able to disable this guy."

Charles Brian Smith, 38, of Alvin, has been charged with attempted burglary of a residence with intent to commit assault, authorities said. He was being held Tuesday at the Galveston County Jail under a $40,000 bail.

Police found Smith in the front yard yelling incoherently, officials said. Investigators found damage to the front porch of Brittnacher's home and discovered bullet holes in his truck, Whitten said. Investigators suspect that Smith was high on bath salts or other mind-altering substance.

While it's usually best for residents to call police when a dangerous situation arises, Whitten said that homeowners have the right to protect their property.

"My recommendation is that you do what you need to do to protect yourself," he said. "That's up to the individual. When you're confronted with something like this you have to do what you need to do to protect yourself."