LAUREL COUNTY, Ky. — Two attempted home invasions in as many days resulted in homeowners defending their property and lives.

The latest incident occurred on Friday, Feb. 10 on Gibbs Lane, eight miles west of London around 7:10 p.m. when a masked male knocked on the door of a home. When the woman of the house answered the door, she was met with the masked man pointing a shotgun at her. But Brenda Roark was determined not to be a victim and she started struggling with the man to keep him from entering the residence. Her husband, Donald Roark, joined in and took the shotgun from the masked man and chase him away. The couple then contacted Laurel Dispatch, who sent Laurel County Sheriff’s officials to the scene.

When Sgt. Greg Poynter, Deputy Robbie Grimes and Deputy Steve Hoskins arrived on Gibbs Lane, they established some leads on the identity of the masked man, who lived about four miles away.

Lt. Rodney Van Zant, the Special Response Unit Commander for the Sheriff’s  Office, was notified and the suspect--32-year-old Finley Earl Hall of Earl Howard Road in Keavy, was arrested.

Hall was staying with his parents and was on home incarceration when the incident occurred. Hall, still wearing the ankle bracelet, reportedly took a 4-wheeler to the Roark’s home, parking it near the scene of the attempted robbery. After being chased away from the home, Hall apparently wrecked the four-wheeler. He then burned the mask he wore during the attempted robbery and went back to his parents’ home.

As the investigation continued, Sheriff’s officials located a jacket and boots Hall was wearing during the attempted robbery. Hall was charged with first-degree robbery and taken to Saint Joseph-London for a hand and chest injury.  Hall was on home incarceration for four counts of fourth-degree assault and has numerous felony convictions. He remains in Laurel Detention Center under a $50,000 cash bond. He is scheduled for a preliminary hearing in Laurel District Court on Feb. 21.

This incident is the latest of recent attempted home invasions in which the victims fought back. On Friday, Feb. 9, three people were arrested and charged with second-degree burglary and theft by unlawful taking after a homeowner — asleep in his bedroom with his two-year-old daughter — awoke to find a man going through a jewelry box in the bedroom. The man, Bobby Lee, was able to reach for a gun atop his dresser and shot the suspect, 31-year-old Jimmy Farmer of Corbin, in the upper chest. Lee then contacted police and held the other two suspects, 31-year-old Leslie Hicks of McDowell, Ky., and 25-year-old Dudley Farmer of London, at gunpoint until Sheriff’s officials arrived.

Sheriff John Root said he did not expect charges to be filed against the homeowners involved in these two situations, even the one in which the homeowner shot the intruder.

“I’m not charging them with anything,” Root said. “I applaud homeowners and property owners for not letting individuals come into their home and take their property or threaten them.”

Root said, in incidents such as the two home invasions, homeowners have the right to defend themselves and their property from offenders.

“In the one where the man was shot, the homeowner was in the bed with his daughter and the front door  was locked. These people jimmied the lock and came into his house,” Root said. “If you can’t be safe in your own home, you do have the right to defend yourself.”



njohnson@sentinel-echo.com