WATCH: Machete-wielding man defends home from alleged thieves
Dramatic footage has emerged of a machete-wielding man defending his home from an alleged armed robbery in the US.
The Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office has said five men from South Florida were arrested in connection with an armed robbery on Thursday morning.
The security camera footage, which was posted online, opens with a homeowner and another man backing away from people off-camera.
The home owner comes is holding a plank of wood preparing to defend himself, before he begins swinging.
Another man then appears on screen, later identified by police as Alen Beltran-Vazquez, wearing blue fabric over his face and armed with a shotgun.
The home owner flees inside the house, realising he’s no match for his armed assailant.
Two more masked men, later identified by police as Angel Cabrera-Basulto and Ronier Jauregui-Lorente, appear armed with a crowbar and a machete.
One of them instructs the man next to the table to get on the floor.
Beltran-Vazquez issues a few instructions but soon begins to back up as the home owner emerges from the house carrying a machete.
He runs at the men, machete held high above his head ready to attack.
Beltran-Vazquez flees while the other two men jump over the fence.
The video cuts to the home owner dragging Beltran-Vazquez by the collar as it appears he’s been disarmed.
Police said they managed to arrest both Cabrera-Basulto and Jauregui-Lorente after they fled while Jorge Valido-Leyva and Roberto Salcedo-Balanza were also arrested when they were found in a car nearby.
One of the men in the car was allegedly carrying several zip ties.
Beltran-Vazquez was charged with two counts of armed robbery and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Jauregui-Lorente and Cabrera-Basulto were each charged with two counts of armed robbery.
Valido-Leyva and Salcedo-Balanza faces two counts each of principal to armed robbery.
Police said additional charges were pending.
