A group of four teenagers thought they had found an easy target when they approached a man working on his pickup truck in broad daylight.
But they had no idea who they were dealing with.
Lunged at the suspect
In June 2026, Marine Corps veteran Jheyco Borda was working on his pickup truck outside his home in Oxon Hill, Maryland, when four teenagers suddenly approached him.
”I had a gut feeling when they started putting their hoods on and stuff,” Borda told WJLA.
According to reports, the teenagers surrounded Borda and allegedly demanded his keys and cellphone. Then, in a terrifying turn, one of them pulled out a handgun and pointed it directly at Borda’s head.
For most people, this would have been a terrifying situation. But Borda had something the teenagers hadn’t counted on: years of military training.
When the armed teen became distracted, Borda spotted his chance. He lunged at the suspect and fought back, drawing on the hand-to-hand combat skills he had learned in the Marines.
The struggle, which was captured on camera, quickly escalated. Borda’s brother rushed in to help just as a gunshot rang out. The bullet struck the bed of Borda’s pickup, but thankfully, neither man was hit.
The brothers managed to overpower the suspects and hold them until Prince George’s County police arrived. All four teenagers were taken into custody.
One of the suspects sustained minor injuries and received medical treatment.
“They knew what they were doing, so they have to pay for the consequences,” Borda said.
Looking back, Borda credited his Marine training for kicking in when he needed it most.
”Once a Marine, always a Marine,” he told Fox 5. ”It took me just one split second. We went to training for the Marines and that came out right at the moment.”
The encounter left a costly reminder behind: the bullet damage to his truck was estimated at around $2,000, and his insurance wouldn’t cover the repairs.
But the damage to the vehicle was nothing compared to what could have happened.
Borda was especially grateful that his children and beloved dog Sky, who usually rides in the truck’s back seat, hadn’t been there that day.
A gun pointed at his head. A shot fired. And yet, Borda showed remarkable restraint, stopping the attack without taking a life. Many would argue he deserves a medal for the way he handled the situation.
As for the teenagers, they may have walked away with a lesson they won’t soon forget. Hopefully, they’ll think twice before threatening someone like that again.
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