MUNCIE, Ind. - A Muncie family is thanking the assistant principal at Muncie Central High School for jumping into action when their teenage son walked in on a home intruder earlier this month.
Ring footage captures the moment Justin Oliver dropped off his friend's son, 14-year-old Max, on the day they were supposed to return from out of town. He waited to make sure Max got inside and started to drive away – but something made the teen suddenly sprint back out and frantically chase down Oliver.
"He said, 'Somebody's in the house, somebody's robbing the house.' I told him to wait there, I backed up, and grabbed my gun and went in," Justin Oliver, who's also a Marine veteran, recalled.
The video shows Oliver heading inside the house to confront a man who had made himself comfortable while the family was away.
"He said, 'Don't shoot me, I'm not dangerous.' I said, 'Well you're robbing my friend's house so don't tell me you're not dangerous,'" Oliver added.
Court documents said after getting inside, the suspect, 33-year-old Kenneth Quilaton, had at some point fallen through the attic, and then tracked drywall dust through the house.
Homeowner Ashley Calhoun said he also took a shower, a nap, made some pizza rolls and fed his dog there.
"It just feels really uncomfortable to know someone was through your house. But now, it's the long term – my kids are scared of everything," Ashley Calhoun said. “He’s [Max] 14 so he’s a boy, he’s tough, but when something like this happens you can really see the vulnerability. It’s scary for him.”
As she and her husband began piecing it all together, Calhoun said her husband recalled a recent encounter with the suspect.
"He's telling me this whole story, he says, 'I can't even believe this. I met this guy just in passing. We talked about an item I had that he was really interested in. I told him, 'I don't really have time to look for it, it's up in our attic. I'm leaving for two weeks on Wednesday,'" Calhoun explained. "So, right there is a huge lesson for everyone listening. Just don't tell anyone you're going out of town."
"This is proof right here – some people are paying attention with bad intentions," Oliver said. “Got to always be vigilant. Be aware of your surroundings and what you’re talking about and who you’re talking about it around.”
Court documents also said the suspect offered a Muncie police officer $100 to let him go. So, in addition to burglary and criminal mischief, he was also arrested on a bribery charge.
Calhoun said she was just glad Oliver was there to help.
"He's amazing. I couldn't thank him enough," Calhoun said.