An Irvine woman is sharing her story after her husband was held at gunpoint on their own driveway Thursday night after thieves followed him home from a casino.
The attempted robbery happened in one of the guard-gated communities in Northwood near Meadowood and Candlewood. The family believes the robbers managed to get in by following the victim so closely, that they bypassed the quickly closing gate and the security guard.
In the security video from the family's driveway, the man can be heard screaming as he is approached by two masked men holding weapons. Police later confirmed they brandished replica handguns.
"Sorry, sorry! Don't kill me my family right here," the victim is heard apologizing because he had no money to give to the robbers, according to the man's wife.
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About 30 seconds into the video clip, the couple's 11-year-old son is seen coming out of the house. The boy's mother believes that's what scared the robbers off.
"I was proud that he was so brave," said the woman, who asked NBC4 not to show her face and to disguise her voice. "He was the one who scared them, but it could have been very different if they were different criminals."
The woman said her husband was coming home from Commerce Casino in Los Angeles around 10 p.m. Thursday when he was followed into their neighborhood.
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Police later arrested four people in LA County, two of whom matched the description of the men who attempted to rob the Irvine man.
The woman is sharing their story because she doesn't want anyone to have a false sense of security, especially in a guard-gated community. She also said this is an important reminder for everyone to be aware of their surroundings.
"Part of me wants to lecture my son and say just press the alarm and go inside. There's a part of me that's proud of him," she said of her 11-year-old. "Part of me that's mad at my husband for not looking at his rear-view mirror, but who does that with the gates? They've closed on my husband's car before. He hasn't been able to get in, so why would he think someone else should be able to?"
