Jheyco Borda was tinkering with his pickup truck when someone around him pointed a gun at him. His military training saved his life.
OXON HILL, Md. — A U.S. Marine Corps veteran says his military training helped him survive the indictments of four teenagers tried to rob him at gunpoint outside his Maryland home.
The confrontation was captured on video and remains under investigation by the Prince George’s County Police Department.
Jheyco Borda said he was working on his truck when four teenagers approached him and demanded his cellphone, truck keys and other valuables.
“The guy came up to me and pointed the gun in my face and told me, ‘Give me the key,'” Borda said. “I said the car has already driven, take it.”
Instead of using a traditional key, Borda said he uses his phone to unlock and start the truck. As he raised his phone to enter the vehicle, he noticed the armed suspect briefly looked away.
“That’s when he took the gun away from my head and that’s when I grabbed the gun,” Borda said. The video shows Borda wrestling with the armed teen while three other teens stood nearby.
What happened next unfolded in seconds.
“We’re trained to fight or flee, and that’s my split-second instinct,” Borda said.
Borda’s brother Peter heard the commotion and ran to help. During the fight, the teenager fired a shot. Borda said luckily the bullets missed him and his brother and instead hit the truck.
“We’re trained in weapons safety,” the Marine Corps veteran said. “That’s one of the first things we learned.”
Borda, who served in the U.S. Marine Corps, credits the training with helping him react under pressure. “Every second counts, and they taught us that out there,” Borda said of his military service.
After gaining control of the gun, Borda said his father, Pedro, and brother helped restrain the suspect until Prince George’s County police arrived.
All suspects have been identified, according to police. The case remains an active investigation and the department is consulting with the State Attorney’s Office regarding possible charges.
“Either they do it or I try to fight for my life,” Boda said. He believes the teen may have shot him and taken the truck.
While Boda is grateful to have survived, he said he wouldn’t advise others to take the same course of action. “I wouldn’t encourage others to do this,” he said. “I guess I’m lucky.”
Borda said he hopes the teens involved will learn from the experience and make better choices in the future.
