Thieves suspected of stealing rifle flee when man confronts them with pistol

A neighbor with a gun confronted two accused thieves in a residential area of Cape Coral Monday afternoon.

It all started when a dad said he spotted the two teenagers in hoodies standing near his northwest Cape Coral home.

“It just caught me off guard when two hooded people at 1 o’clock in the day standing in the bushes talking,” said Jeff, who requested his last name remain anonymous.

Ten minutes later, when Jeff went outside to smoke a cigarette, the sketchy teenagers were holding a rifle.

Police said the rifle was stolen from the home next door. That is when Jeff said he dashed back inside his house and retrieved his pistol.

“I was just watching them the whole time with the gun,” Jeff said. “Then, he looked back right there to see if I still had my gun on him… and I’m like drop the gun or I’m gonna shoot you!”

Jeff’s order spooked the teenagers enough that the pair started running. At one point during their dash to freedom, the teenagers accidentally fired off a shot from the stolen rifle. Moments later, they tossed it into a pepper bush.

Police would arrest the suspects. McKenzie Silverman, 18, and a 15-year-old boy face Armed Burglary and Grand Theft Charges.

Witnesses said the minor knew the family he is suspected of stealing it from.

Either way, Jeff said he was not going to let the pair get away with their suspected crime. Even though he thought the two kids were being “stupid,” he wasn’t going to let it happen near his family.

“He wouldn’t drop the gun though and he just kept turning back with it,” Jeff said. “I’m like drop the *bleep* gunman.”

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