Mother filmed fighting off intruder as he ran toward her children

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A mother was filmed heroically fighting off an intruder from her home in Rancho Cucamonga, California, as her two young children were playing out the front.

During the encounter on 26 October, the mother and her two daughters were in the family’s garage when a man ran towards them – forcing her to tackle him.

He has since been identified by Rancho Cucamonga Police Department as Rasmuss Peter Rasmussen, aged 31, and he was arrested shortly after.

The mother, who feared being identified because of her family’s safety, told a local TV station that she thought the intruder wanted to take her daughters, aged five and six.

“I thought he was gonna take my girls,” she told CBS Los Angeles. “I also had my one year old in the background in a high chair”.

Her husband and son arrived within minutes, and tackled the man to the floor. Footage of the startling encounter was shared on the PublicFreakuut thread on Reddit.

Police said the father and son had been on the lookout for Mr Rasmussen because he had been outside the home shortly before the incident acting “strangely”.

“I seen him coming into the driveway and my first instinct was just to block him to give my kids enough time to get away,” the mother told reporters.

Rancho Cucamonga Police Department said Mr Rasmussen was charged for being under the influence of a controlled substance, and an investigation is underway.

The San Bernrdino County District Attorney’s Office will determine if there are any additional charges, including trespassing, to be filed against the 31-year-old.

“I don’t think that’s enough,” said the mother. “I think he should go to jail and stay in jail.”