Photo: McDowell County Sheriff's Office
A North Carolina man was arrested for allegedly breaking into the home of a couple he believed was operating a child sex ring. Terrifying video captured the moment that 29-year-old Tyler Austin Messer stormed into the house of Preston McHone and Billy Brooks in the middle of the night wearing tactical gear and armed with a rifle.
Messer can be seen trying to fire a shot at Billy through a glass door, but his gun misfired.
"As he pulls the trigger, he turns and, in that short turn, he's realizing it didn't go off because he's supposed to, at that point, have shot him and would be turning towards me," McHone told WLOS.
McHone and Brooks hid inside their home until the police arrived. By then, Messer had fled, but authorities were able to locate him the next day.
This is not the first interaction that the couple has had with Messer. He reportedly showed up at their house three times last year, looking for his father, who he believed lived in the house before McHone and Brooks purchased it in 2017.
Court documents reviewed by the Daily Mail show that authorities believe Messer is mentally ill.
"Defendant is mentally ill and has ability to get firearms / is dillusional (sic) / believes that victims kidnapped his father + are involved in sex trafficking. Defendant is very dangerous in current state of mind."
Messer was taken into custody and charged with two counts of trespassing, two counts of stalking, and assault by pointing a gun. Authorities said the investigation remains ongoing, and Messer could face additional charges.