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Lehi man fends off burglary suspects in gun battle

Posted at 6:08 PM, Aug 08, 2016
and last updated 2016-08-09 00:13:17-04

LEHI, Utah -- It all started when Kirk Homestead heard a knock at the door around 10:30 p.m. Sunday. A man and woman were standing on his porch in Lehi, asking if he could help them jump start their car. He immediately came out to help.

"When I pulled in my driveway, I walked over because I thought they were still having problems with the battery," Homestead said.

At that point, the car started driving away and Homestead started to walk back into his house.

"I stepped up and there they were. Both of them had masks and hoodies on," Homestead said.

Two other men were standing on his porch with their guns drawn, but Homestead is always prepared thanks to a concealed carry permit.

"I pulled my gun out of my pocket and stood behind this post and I pulled down on them right here," Homestead said.

Staring down the barrel of the gun, Homestead didn't want to shoot because he thought he recognized one of the masked men.

"All I was doing was listening for the shot. I just planned on killing him. It was either him or I. There were no other options," Homestead said.

His instincts were right. One of the suspects, Devon Levi, is a young man who Homestead had taken in about a year ago.

"We was good friends. I trusted him," Homestead said.

Levi recently came back and asked if he could live there again, but Homestead said no.

"I think he took offense to that and he told friends and stuff that he knew where everything I had was," he said.

Police say he tried to steal what he could with his two accomplices, William Ortiz and Christina Ramirez.

They didn't succeed and Homestead believes he never would've survived if it wasn't for his gun.

"I'm very thankful to God for being here to watch over me because it is terrifying," Homestead said.

Homestead believes there is a fourth suspect out there, but Lehi Police have told them, they believe the crime was committed by the three people they have in custody.