It was a regular – beautiful, even – afternoon at a residence in west Edmonton August 28 before things ‘went south’ for a family, according to the father.

“I was sitting in the lazy boy, waiting for my wife to come home in a nice, sunny, quiet Sunday at about quarter to 5 p.m.,” said a man we are calling Paul, because he does not want his identity revealed due to a fear of retribution. “About five minutes after [my son] came over, he said ‘what’s happening to mom!? Somebody is trying to get into the car!”

Two men, Benjamin MacIntyre and Raymond Cardinal, allegedly got into the mother’s vehicle while she was still inside to steal it, but her husband and son came to her rescue.

“When we came running out of the house … I saw the guy in the driver’s seat, and the other guy was exiting the passenger side,” Paul said. “My son came ripping out, attacked the guy coming out of the passenger side immediately.”

Johnathan Tews, 24, is facing assault charges for what allegedly happened next.

“The other started casually walking down the sidewalk like nothing happened,” Paul said. “I started following him, and I said ‘stop, immediately stop.’ He turned around, put his hands in his pockets like he’s gonna pull out a knife on me.

“My son went into the house, and I happen to have a baseball bat beside the front door.

“My son chased this guy for three blocks, across a 149 Street, caught him on the other side of 149 Street, and things went south from there for that guy.”

Paul said MacIntyre and Cardinal were taken to the hospital on an ambulance. They have been charged with robbery.

The father defends his son’s actions, but he is worried about the possible consequences.

“I hope they’re lenient on him,” Paul said. “He does not deserve to go to jail. He works two jobs, he’s a good kid.”

Tews’ love for his mother prompted him to defend her, and he will now have to defend himself in court September 15.

With files from Angela Jung