Armed Indiana man saves his neighbors from attacker - Feb 2010

[rambone]

Happened in Shelburn, Indiana.

Two women are lucky to be alive thanks to this man.

Text message prompts man to save neighbors

Shelburn - A mother and daughter being attacked in their home may have been saved by a text message to a neighbor.

The women were tied up and threatened to be killed in their home in Shelburn in Sullivan County. Their neighbor, Deanna Southwood, says it all started with a text she got Sunday morning from the mother.

According to Southwood the text said, "Get cops here now."

A few minutes later, Southwood says she got a second text that said, "Don't call. Somebody's in the house."

Investigators say that "somebody" was Ralph Rosa, who had broken into the women's home and attacked the mother and daughter. Southwood sent her boyfriend, Sonny Osborn, to help the women while she called 911.

When Osborn went next door he says the suspect was sexually assaulting the younger woman and threatened to kill her if Osborn interfered.

"I just knew I had to do something. I had to get him out of there," said Osborn.

Osborn says he didn't think he could wait for police.

"I just went back home and grabbed a gun," Osborn said. "He had her strangled. Tied up in a death hold."

According to police, Rosa also had a screwdriver to the woman's neck.
"I fired a warning shot," explained Osborn.

When that didn't work, he says he aimed for Rosa's leg.

"It took three shots to do the trick," Osborn described of finally getting Rosa way from the younger woman.

But even shot, Rosa wasn't going down without a fight.

"He wrestled me around for the gun and couldn't get it and he took off," Osborn explained.

Osborn caught Rosa and held him at gunpoint until police got there.

"What Sonny done, I think he done what he had to do in that situation," said Sullivan County Sheriff's Department Sergeant Bill Snead.

Police say, remarkably, the man Osborn shot thought so too.

"He even looked at Sonny and said, 'I have no hard feelings man. You done what you were supposed to do'," Sgt. Snead said. "He said, 'You just protected these people'."

Osborn says he was just doing what he thought was right. Investigators say Rosa is behind bars in the Sullivan County Jail.

 

[XDinmyXJ]

for Sonny But i would have shot to kill!

 

[bmwdud]

sounds like that worked out ok
one for our side

 

[garagegunmaker]

+1 hopefully now he won't have to go back home to get a gun because he will see the need for a LTCH.

 

[jghelton]

awesome for saving his people....A++++++

TELL THAT TO ALL THE ANTI GUN PEOPLE ...THAT EASILY COULD HAVE BEEN ONE OF THEIR FAMILY MEMBERS ..



THE AMERICAN WAY

 

[EvilleDoug]

Applause for the helpful neighbor. I hope if I ever need to be saved from some idiot, that someone will be brave enough to step up and help...I know I would help if called on.
+1 for Sonny

 

[eirish2001]

https://www.indianagunowners.com/fo.../77411-man_rescues_two_women_from_captor.html