Homeowner fights off box-cutter wielding intruder

WINTER GARDEN, Fla. (WOFL FOX 35) - A man accused of armed burglar is behind bars, after a homeowner fought back during an attack. Rafael Rodriguez recovers from stab wounds after police say a stranger walked into his Winter Garden home.  Rafael's daughter Brianda explains how the suspect pretended to be a lawn maintenance man.

"The guy was like, we don't know you, we never hired you. So my dad was trying to push him out so he would leave. He was giving him a chance so he could just leave." But instead of leaving, police say the man stabbed Rafael with a box cutter in the chin and the chest area.

But Brianda says her 51-year-old father fought back while her mother called 911. "He says the guy was really strong, so he tried to kick him." After several kicks and punches, police say Rafael was able to stop the man. "He even got to the point that he was the one on top, not on the bottom."

Rafael says by the time officers arrived he was holding the suspect down on the ground over here. This is the shirt he was wearing during the attack you can see where the box cutter, cut right threw. Officers arrested 52 year old Johnny Wayne Smith on assault and burglar charges.  Rafael says the stranger pried open the back door.

Meanwhile police also charged Smith with a second burglary, that happened right before Rafael's break-in, one street over.  Brianda and her dad want to warn others to lock up and be on alert. "I feel like the community should know about. Always pay attention to the back door front door."