Samurai Sword-Wielding Mormon Bishop Fends Off Mugger

A bishop for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints with a black belt in karate used a Samurai sword he keeps by his bedside to stop an alleged mugging.

Kent Hendrix of Millcreek, Utah, was in the shower early Tuesday morning when his son Eric, 14, alerted him to a woman's screams outside their home.

"I jumped out and I put some clothes on and I grabbed my sword," Hendrix, 47, told local ABC affiliate KTVX-TV.

Hendrix's sword is a 29-inch carbon steel Samurai sword that the bishop keeps by his bed for "home defense," the father of six told KTVX.

Once Hendrix got outside, he saw his neighbor fighting off a man trying to grab her purse.

"When he saw the sword he said, 'I'm leaving. I'm leaving,' and took off running," Hendrix said.

The suspect, later identified as Grant Eggertsen, drove off in his car to the sounds of Hendrix yelling behind him, "Ha, I have your DNA and I have your license plate. You are so done."

An hour later, Eggertsen, 37, was, indeed done, turning himself into police.

Eggertsen was booked on charges of robbery, attempted burglary, trespassing and violation of a stalking injunction, according to Unified Police Lt. Justin Hoyal.

It's unclear whether he has entered a plea.

Eggertsen and Hendrix's neighbor, a 35-year-old woman whose identity was not released, were former colleagues whose deteriorated professional relationship resulted in a stalking injunction placed against Eggertsen by the victim, Lt. Hoyal told ABCNews.com.

Eggertsen had reportedly been waiting behind the victim's carport Tuesday morning and allegedly threw her to the ground when she emerged from her house around 7 a.m. As Eggertsen allegedly attempted to open the front door with her keys, the victim made her escape, fleeing down the road screaming.

The screams alerted her neighbors, including Hendrix, who came outside to help.

"The several neighbors who did a great thing and came to her aid, ultimately stopped this attack," Lt. Hoyal said. "And the victim did the right thing by screaming."