Kenneth Byrd’s North Carolina home
Courtesy The Robesonian
10/25/2014 AT 05:05 PM EDT
A stranger claimed his car was having mechanical problems and asked for water, according to a statement released by the Robeson County Sheriff’s Office and obtained by PEOPLE.
Suddenly, two more men appeared and demanded money. They were dressed in black and wearing ski masks.
The suspects were armed with handguns and attempted to rape Byrd’s 19-year-old granddaughter. “Mr. Byrd retrieved a weapon and several shots were fired between Mr. Byrd and the suspects in the house,” according to the sheriff’s office.
The three men left in Byrd’s gold Cadillac and two of the men were eventually arrested after they went to McLeod Hospital in Dillon, South Carolina, with gunshot wounds. The third man, Jaime Lee Faison, 20, was found dead from a gunshot wound in Byrd’s stolen Cadillac.
Byrd, 67, who was wounded in the shootout, was taken to Southeastern Regional Medical Center and later transported by helicopter to another hospital where he was listed in serious condition, according to officials.
The other two suspects, Brandon Stephens, 28, and Jamar Hawkins, 17, were charged with burglary, first degree sexual offense and kidnapping, among other charges. Their bond was set at $1 million each. Officials say the suspects were persons of interest in other home invasions.
