An alleged burglar picked the wrong house to try and rob in San Diego last month.
An alleged burglar made a terrible decision last month when he entered the Hernandez home in San Diego, CA. The home belonged to Sergio Hernandez Sr., the father of Sergio Hernandez Jr., an MMA fighter and BJJ black belt.
The incident at the Hernandez home began when father and son returned from an errand. After they entered the home, they noticed a man standing in the backyard. According to ABC News the man said he was hiding from a dog, so the Hernandez men showed him the way off of their property.
Once the man had left, the Hernandezes discovered that a screen window in the bedroom had been ripped open. Suspecting the man who was in the yard of being a burglar, Hernandez Jr. took off after him.
Hernandez Jr. has a 4-0 professional MMA record from 2010 to 2011. He has also competed at the Eddie Bravo Invitational (EBI). Hernandez Jr. was able to locate the man and bring him back to the property. He then held the suspected robber in a triangle choke until police arrived.
“I’ve been doing jiu-jitsu for about 13 years,” said Hernandez to ABC News. “I could have broken his arm easily, but I don’t like to see people get hurt. I was going to put him to sleep, but I wanted to keep talking to him to figure out why he chose our house.”
ABC 10 News video report on the incident includes footage of Hernandez subduing the alleged robber. You can watch that below:
Hernandez Sr. told ABC San Diego affiliate KGTV that he has compassion for the individual who he suspects tried to rob his home. “I would like to invite him to a boxing gym,” he said. “He’s young. There is still time to save him, to guide him in the right direction.”
This isn’t the first time a suspected criminal has found themselves face to face with someone trained in MMA. Last August an armed robber entered an MMA gym in Burbank, CA, but left with a busted up face. In October a man attempted to rob a Gracie Barra gym in Rio de Janeiro and was chased out by half a dozen grapplers.