At 3:15 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 27, retired truck driver Dave Knittle was watching television in the front room of his Lansford home. Less than half an hour later, the two intruders who had pushed their way into the neighboring house where his 16-year-old grandson was home alone, were staring down the barrel of Knittle's 9 mm handgun.

"I didn't do anything any other grandfather wouldn't have done," Knittle said Monday.The 9 mm handgun is one of several he owns. Knittle, who has a license to carry permit, bought the gun less than a year ago."I've had guns ever since I was 16 years old," he said.His heroic afternoon began to unfold when he glanced up from the television and noticed a young men walking down the street, looking up at the second floor windows."With all the burglaries and stuff going on in these towns, I thought I'd better watch this guy," Knittle said.The man walked down Water Street, then back up."I heard him knock on the door and I saw my grandson walk down with him, and then two men walked up with my grandson," Knittle said. "The next thing I know, my grandson's hopping over bannister of my porch. He runs in and yells to call the cops and says two guys just pushed their way into the house."The men, later identified as Joseph R. Becker, 31, of Coaldale, and Brian Kehl, 30, of Summit Hill, had barged into the wrong house looking for a man they claim owes them money.Knittle's grandson told police one of the men took his cell phone and held him in a bear hug while the other searched the house for the unknown man."I said, I'm getting my gun and coming over," Knittle said.By the time he got to the front door, Becker and Kehl were coming out. Knittle stood his ground, gun in hand, and confronted them."I said to them, that's a good way to get yourself shot, breaking in to somebody's house," he recalled.The men replied that they didn't break in, that the door was unlocked."I said 'You still don't go in. You're not invited,' " Knittle said. "The one guy (Kehl) stood right in my face, he got in my face, and says, 'We're not trying to intimidate you.' I said, well, you're not going to intimidate me. You better get the heck out of here I called the cops."Becker was yelling to Kehl to go, but Kehl kept at Knittle."I said I'm not going to back down. I have guns, and I will use them if I have to. But I don't want to use them," Knittle said."You're pretty big with a gun in your hand," he said Kehl told him."I said, 'I'm pretty big without a gun in my hand,' " Knittle said.Becker and Kehl both left. Police nabbed Becker, who was charged with robbery, criminal trespass and theft. He's in Carbon County prison under $50,000 bail.Kehl, who has yet to be caught, is charged with robbery, criminal trespass and unlawful restraint of a minor.