Charges have been laid against a 20-year-old Victoria man after a break-in at a Langford couple’s home on Valentine’s Day that led to an intense struggle between the intruder and the 62-year-old homeowner.
Dario Holmes, 20, is charged with break-and-enter with intent and break-and-enter to commit an indictable offence, assault with intent to resist arrest, disguising face with intent to commit an offence and possession of break-in instruments.
Retired Saanich firefighter Ted Marson woke up about 3:15 a.m. Saturday thinking his golden retriever puppy was rustling around the house. But when he stepped out of the bedroom of his Leigh Road bungalow, he saw a man standing in his living room. Marson dove at the man and wrestled with him as his wife, Diane, called 911.
Marson battled to pin down the intruder, leading the two to the bedroom where Marson punched the man in the nose and tried to pin him between the nightstand and the wall. Diane restrained the man’s legs to prevent him from getting away.
West Shore RCMP officers arrived at the home and arrested the man.
The couple’s story has been receiving attention across Canada and the U.S.
Ted and Diane have received cards and messages from both friends and strangers from as far away as Mexico, Arizona, and across Canada.
“We’ve had a tremendous amount of feedback from folks and all has been positive,” Ted said.
The couple has heard from people around Greater Victoria who live alone and say it’s their worst nightmare to wake up to an intruder in their home.
“It sort of grew a life of its own, but it’s at the foremost of a lot of folks’ minds and it’s potentially a very terrorizing position to be in,” Ted said. “But we’ve made it through no problem and we haven’t let the incident mess up our lives.”
After Ted was checked out in hospital that day, the couple spent their evening as they planned — a nice dinner at Milestones in Victoria to celebrate their 17th wedding anniversary.
A manager from Milestones even called this week to offer the couple a gift certificate.
“The positive side for us is we actually apprehended the individual and we know, for some period of time, he won’t be bothering anyone so we can get a bit of closure in that.”
Holmes’s next court appearance is March 5 in Western Communities Court.
