Jacksonville man says he was beaten, daughter tied up in Glen Kernan home invasion

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A community in the Glen Kernan neighborhood is left with many questions on Sunday night after one of their neighbors was beaten very badly during a home invasion on Thursday morning.

Johnathan Parker said jewelry, valuables and his motorcycle were taken from his home in the Riverbrook subdivision.

Parker said he left his Riverbrook home around 8:40 a.m. to drop his son off at Chets Creek Elementary School.

When he returned to his home around 9 a.m., he was met by two men in ski masks who shocked him with a stun gun and beat him and tied up his daughter before taking off on his white motorcycle, carrying his belongings.

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Parker said the two men were in the house for about 30 to 40 minutes. The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office is now looking for the men, described by Parker as being in their 20s-30s with facial hair.

Neighbors told Action News Jax’s Courtney Cole that Glen Kernan is a neighborhood where people feel safe enough to leave their garage doors open at night.

When neighbors found out about the home invasion, they said they were shocked. Some neighbors believe it was a targeted crime.

Courtney Cole spoke to Action News Jax law and safety expert Dale Carson to learn more about what your legal rights are in the event of a home invasion.

Carson said, if you see something unusual at your home, such as a broken window, do not go in. Instead, call 911 right away.

"When you trap someone in a felony situation, you really intensify the problem and that’s what you don’t want to do,” Carson said.

But if you are already inside your home when burglars enter it, Florida law says you can protect yourself under this condition:

"You’re allowed to do whatever is necessary to defend yourself, up to and including deadly force, if you are, if you believe that you or a member of your family is going to be seriously injured,” Carson said.

But it is important to note that use of deadly force is not allowed if you just see someone taking your property without posing an immediate threat to you or your family.

Carson said the best preventive measure you can take to avoid a home invasion is to get an alarm system.

Action News Jax is working with the Sheriff's Office to get more information on this incident and will have updates as soon as they are available.

Cox Media Group