Homeowners in rural Amelia County, Virginia were forced to protect themselves from an intruder Saturday morning, but thankfully the pair were able to subdue and hold the suspect until police arrived.

According to WTVR, the couple woke up Saturday morning to the sound of their dogs barking, and quickly realized they weren’t alone in their home.

“Initially we heard the dogs barking, going crazy,” the male homeowner said. “and then I heard a voice.”

He then yelled ‘Who’s in my house?” and received a response that confirmed their worse fears.

“When we heard somebody yell back, that was the scary moment,” the female homeowner said.

She then grabbed a gun and handed it to her boyfriend while calling 911.

“I could see a grown man at the bottom of my stairwell again pleading, asking for help,” the man said.

The couple were able to hold the intruder until sheriff’s deputies arrived. Officers discovered the intruder had apparently driven a stolen car on to the couple’s property, hit a shed with the car, and then made his way inside the home.

“We had a car, what we found out was a stolen car come through, I guess he pulled the emergency brake and crashed into the shed here,” she said. “I think it was a random incident but I’m happy and proud of the way we handled it.”

Graham Martin, 39, of Blackstone, was arrested for breaking and entering with a weapon and other charges. Kristen Gant, 22, of Prospect, was arrested on a failure to appear in Chesterfield court from a previous warrant. Both were taken to Piedmont Regional Jail.

Based on the initial reporting, I’m not exactly sure where and how the second suspect who was arrested got involved in the story. He may have been a passenger in the stolen car and never entered the home, which is why the only charge he’s facing is a warrant violation.

The 39-year old arrested is facing significant charges for his crime, and was apparently armed when he broke into the home, which may lead to a more serious sentence than he would otherwise be facing.

As for the homeowners, they’re not facing any charges for protecting themselves in their own residence. Like the vast majority of defensive gun uses in this country, no trigger was pulled, no round was fired, but the presence of that firearm was enough to keep the incident from escalating any further. Everyone involved is alive and well, the intruder’s in jail, and the couple can get back to living their lives.. though I wouldn’t be surprised if some extra firearms training is in the works in the near future.