ASHEBORO, N.C. — Suspected home intruders met the barrel of a gun on Sunday.
Asheboro police say three teenagers broke into a home over the weekend.
Steve Routh says he was home when he got a call from his parents' neighbor.
"It said that there were three males entering the back of the house," Routh said.
Routh called 911 and rushed over to his parents' home in Asheboro to take matters into his own hands.
"I didn't know if it was somebody on crack, drugs, gangs. I had no clue," Routh said.
When he got there, he found the back door of the home ajar. A neighbor captured cell phone video the moment the suspects and Routh met face to face.
The video shows Routh pointing his gun at three teens yelling at them to stay on the ground till police arrived.
When Routh noticed how young the suspects were, police later clarifying 14, 15 and 17, he says he never intended to shoot, but kept the gun pointed for emphasis.
"I would have not shot a teenager because I knew when they came out they were just young," Routh said. "They needed to have their rear end tore up by their parents not me."
Nothing was taken from the home, but a mess was left behind.
"They told me they were just looking around. Well, you don't just look around and drag all these drawers out and stuff," Routh added.
Routh says he hopes the teens learn from this adding things could have ended differently.
"Nobody got hurt. That's the main thing I want to emphasize. Nobody got hurt. Because that's the last thing I wanna do is shoot somebody."
The 14 and 15-year-old suspects were released to their parents, but could be charged later.
Meantime, the 17-year-old suspect, who's considered an adult, was charged with breaking and entering and possession of marijuana.