65-Year-Old Woman Kills Intruder During Violent Break-In

It was a terrifying wake-up call for a family in Blackman Eddy Village. What began as a quiet night quickly turned into a life-or-death struggle. Two armed men broke into the Ireland family’s home, but they didn’t expect what came next. One intruder fled. The other didn’t make it out alive. Sixty-five-year-old Nadia Ireland fought back with a machete, fatally wounding the man now identified as San Ignacio resident Sergio Andino. Her courage may have saved the lives of her elderly relatives, who escaped with only minor injuries. News Five’s Paul Lopez visited the village today and brings us the full story of survival, fear, and resilience.

 

Paul Lopez, Reporting

A quiet night in Blackman Eddy Village took a terrifying turn, but one brave grandmother wasn’t backing down. Sixty-five-year-old Nadia Ireland was at home with her family when two intruders broke in. But instead of panicking, Nadia grabbed a machete and defended her loved ones. In the struggle, one of the men was fatally injured. We spoke with one of Nadia’s relatives, who shared how the intruders managed to get inside and how this courageous woman stood her ground.

 

Voice of: Relative of Homeowner

“First they used a small wooden table and that did not work. So underneath the house there was a small step ladder which they put to a window that was partially opened and using that window they gained access to the inside of the house.”

 

That window leads to a bedroom. Inside, a crippled, elderly woman, seventy-year-old Patricia Ireland, laid asleep. Armed with a gun, one of the assailants held her up and told her not to make any noise.

 

Voice of: Relative of Homeowner

“Which apparently it is two person, two males, one with a firearm and one with nothing else. Hold my first thea hostage and told her not to say anything ot make any noise. This was the gunman. She did not listen. She did say something and apparently my other aunt heard the situation, came outside and found out that there was someone in the house.”

 

That second woman? She’s sixty-five-year-old Nadia Ireland, the homeowner who wasn’t about to let intruders take over her space. Police say one of the attackers, twenty-five-year-old Sergio Andino from San Ignacio, came armed with a machete. But what he didn’t count on was Nadia fighting back with a machete of her own.

 

Voice of: Relative of Deceased

“Immediately they started to wrestle where they did call for the nephew and a commotion ensued.”

 

The chaos didn’t stop there. After initially targeting Nadia Ireland, the intruder, Sergio Andino, turned his attention to her nephew, fifty-seven-year-old Eustace Ireland. What followed was a tense scuffle between the two men. In the heat of the moment, Nadia managed to grab hold of the machete, and she didn’t hesitate. She began swinging at Andino, trying to protect her family. Meanwhile, the first assailant, armed with a gun, was still holding Patricia Ireland hostage, adding even more danger to an already volatile situation.

 

Voice of: Relative of Deceased

“While that, the gunman now exit the house, leaving the other assailant inside the house. While the gunman exit he fired three shots through the window, which caused damage on the outside and inside the house.”

 

In the aftermath, Andino laid in the living room gravely injured. Outside the home, a bloodstained sofa now sits in plain view, a haunting reminder of the violence that unfolded inside. Nadia Ireland didn’t walk away unscathed. She suffered injuries to her right arm and was struck in the face. The bruises are still visible, a painful testament to the ordeal she endured. Her relative, Patricia Ireland, was also hurt, though her injuries were minor. Still, the emotional scars from that night may take far longer to heal.

 

Voice of: Relative of Deceased

“We can always imagine. I feel it within myself, somebody got killed and when these things happen, whether it is for good or bad, it is a life and it needs attention, whether it is for good or bad. In this case it is the bad guy, which I am grateful for, but things could have been a lot worst. So at this point in time I am happy that my family survived the ordeal with minimal hurt.”

The family is now being hailed for their brave act amid a dangerous encounter with armed intruders.

 

Voice of: Relative of Deceased

“Well it is your property and being in your property I would always think that you will do so, fight for your life, because it is your property. It belongs to me and I didn’t borrow this and you have no right in my place so why would I give you this place. I would have done what she done anyways, put up a good fight. I am grateful that she did, because probably if she didn’t do that the thing would have been changed, someone else would have gotten hurt.”

 

Reporter

“Did they notice anything suspicious in the days before?”

 

Voice of: Relative of Deceased

“Not as far as we know. There is not information on that. It is something really strange. This does not happen all the time. She was even sleeping with the window ajar, meaning that it is pretty much safe. Nothing like this has been planned before in life.”

 

Residents in the area reported seeing two men flee the area in the aftermath of the incident. Reporting for News Five, I am Paul Lopez.