What did Robert Rheams do? Louisiana mother fatally shoots home intruder during break-in

Robert Rheams, a Louisiana man, was shot dead by a woman after he broke into her home and attacked her while armed with a shovel and lug wrench.

The Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff's Office reported that 51-year-old Robert Rheams was out on parole after serving around 20 years when he broke into the home of a mother and her two children early on January 9, 2023.

Officials said the woman then fatally shot the intruder in self-defense following an altercation in her home.

While detailing the circumstances of the shooting, police said that hours before breaking into the Louisiana woman’s home, Rheams tried to carjack a good Samaritan who gave him a ride from a hotel where he was reportedly involved in a heated argument with another woman.

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Robert Rheams carjacked a man three blocks from the Louisiana homeowner's house

Robert Rheams reportedly tried to carjack a man three blocks from where the Louisiana mother lived on Klein Road with her two young children.

Authorities, who detailed the incident, said that shortly after hitching a ride, the man drove the slain suspect to a home where no one answered the door. Rheams then got back in the car with the man who was driving away. Rheams then attacked him, causing the car to careen toward a ditch. The driver then fled the vehicle while Rheams attempted to drive away.

The suspect, unable to get the car out of the ditch, abandoned the vehicle. Shortly after, he broke into a residence where he was killed in self-defense after getting into a physical altercation with the victim. In a statement, the Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office said:

“During the incident, a physical altercation took place between Rheams and the homeowner which ultimately led to Rheams being shot by the homeowner. Rheams was later pronounced deceased on scene by the Tangipahoa Parish Coroner’s Office.”

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Authorities said that the woman will likely not face any charges in the incident. The circumstances suggested that she acted to protect herself and her children from violent intruder Robert Rheams. The statement read:

"This case appears to be a homeowner exercising second amendment rights to protect herself and her children from a violent home invasion," the sheriff's office said in a statement. "Once the investigation is complete, the case will be forwarded to the District Attorney's Office for further review."

Police said that the driver from the carjacking incident was relatively unharmed but was a bit shaken up from the events of the day. As per investigators, the suspect was reportedly at the Louisiana home to steal car keys. Authorities are awaiting autopsy results to determine if the suspect was under the influence of narcotics during the incident.