A trained mixed martial arts fighter defended his sister’s home in Florida, leaving an intruder bruised.
Henny Rojas was staying at his sister’s house in Wilton Manor, just north of Fort Lauderdale, when he was awakened by a commotion.
His instincts kicked in as he sought to protect his family. “I’m ready. It’s not my first time. I don’t feel any pain. There’s nothing,” Rojas stated. “I don’t have a gun. I wasn’t looking for a knife. Just God and my hands.”
After approximately three years of MMA training, Rojas confronted the intruder, identified as Austin Karasani.
He managed to subdue Karasani until the police arrived and took him into custody.
Rojas’s sister, Patrizia, and his stepbrothers were not present in Miami at the time but received a frightening call from Rojas’s teenage nephew. The boy was panicking, shouting, “Mom, I called the police and someone broke into the house,” according to Patrizia.
Karasani appeared in court just hours after the incident, showing visible bruises on his face from Rojas’s takedown.
According to Karasani, he had been drinking at a nearby club and mistakenly entered the wrong house while trying to find a friend’s place, known as “Paul’s House.”
Rojas’s family stated they had never seen Karasani before, and when he broke in, they had no idea who he was.
The suspect has been charged with burglary and was being held at Broward County Jail, with a bond set at $20,000.
Rojas expressed satisfaction in using his skills and wouldn’t change how he handled the encounter. “Please protect your family,” he urged. “There are a lot of crazy people. Those who don’t believe in God are just looking to cause harm.”
