In June 2026, Marine Corps veteran Jheyco Borda was working on his pickup outside his home in Oxon Hill, Maryland, when four teenagers approached him. Borda sensed something was wrong as they began putting on their hoods. According to reports, the group surrounded him and demanded his keys and cellphone before one suspect allegedly pulled out a handgun and pointed it at his head.

Borda waited for an opportunity. When the armed teenager became distracted, he lunged at him and used the hand-to-hand combat skills he had learned in the Marines to fight back. His brother rushed over to help, and during the struggle, a gunshot struck the bed of Borda’s pickup. Thankfully, neither brother was injured. They managed to overpower the suspects and hold them until Prince George’s County police arrived. All four teenagers were taken into custody, and one reportedly received medical treatment for minor injuries.

Looking back, Borda credited his military training for helping him react in that split second. “Once a Marine, always a Marine,” he told Fox 5. The confrontation left around $2,000 in damage to his truck, which he said insurance would not cover. But the financial loss was the least of his concerns. Borda was especially grateful that his children and beloved dog, Sky, who usually rides in the truck’s back seat, were not there that day.

A situation that could have ended very differently left Borda thankful that he and his brother walked away unharmed. Despite facing a gun pointed at his head and a shot being fired, he managed to stop the alleged robbery without anyone losing their life. His story is a reminder of how quickly an ordinary afternoon can turn dangerous—and how much can be at stake in a single moment.