A robber broke into a woman's house during a jewelry presentation

Jan 29, 2013 10:19 GMT  ·  By
24-year-old Derek Lee has been arrested for trying to rob a group of women, during a home invasion
   24-year-old Derek Lee has been arrested for trying to rob a group of women, during a home invasion

A group of women have defended themselves during a home invasion by calling out the Lord, scaring off a robber that had threatened them with a weapon.

14 women were present when the incident occurred in Lake City, Florida, according to WJXT News 4. 24-year-old Derek Lee broke into one of the ladies' Lakeview Avenue houses during a jewelry presentation.

He carried a gun and flashed it as he ordered them to give him their valuables, cash and cellphones. One of the attendants at the party initially wrote off his threats as jokes.

"It's only a water gun," she said, believing he was providing entertainment for the event. Her remark made the robber angry, and he retaliated by pointing a gun at her head and threatening her life.

"I'm not joking, I'm going to shoot someone, give me your money," Lee responded.

Homeowner Jacquie Hagler decided to invoke Jesus, in an effort to deter the assailant, and her idea worked out. The intruder was scared off and made a run for it.

"When I realized what was going on, I stood up and said, 'In the name of Jesus, get out of my house now.' And he said, 'I'm going to shoot someone.' And I said it again, real boldly.

"Everybody started chanting, 'Jesus, Jesus, Jesus,' and he did a quick scan of the room, and ran out the door as fast as he could go," Hagler describes the incident.

Police used the women's description to locate the intruder, and arrested him on robbery and home invasion charges on Friday, January 25.

"I have forgiven him and prayed for his salvation. [...] I'm hoping this situation has led him to trust the lord and turn his life around," Hagler adds.