EVERGREEN, Colo. — A Colorado woman says her husband died while protecting her when armed thieves tried to steal their Xbox One, according to KDVR.
“He died protecting me,” Miranda Clymer said.
Clymer calls her late husband, Jacob, her hero. She said that in the frantic moments of the robbery, he drew gunfire away from her.
“I got the gun pulled on me because they wanted to rob us for our Xbox One,” Clymer said.
The couple posted an ad for their Xbox on Facebook. They agreed to meet the buyer, a teenager, on Halloween near Montview Boulevard and Billings Street in Aurora.
When Miranda got out of the car, she said she was met with the barrel of a gun. She said Jacob then pulled out his own gun and said, “Let’s not do this.”
“He drew the attention away from me and I really think he knew what exactly that entitled to come to,” Clymer said.
Seconds later, gunfire filled the air. Miranda said the teen shot her husband and took off. She rushed to Jacob’s side.
“I found him bleeding … bleeding out,” Clymer said.
She said the father of three was a self-taught mechanic, a fun-loving man who adored his children. Other family members agree.
“He was an amazing guy and the way that he would look at his youngest — just the sparkle in his eyes. He definitely loved his kids,” said Alyssa Hancock, Jacob’s cousin.
“He was full of life, just a real gentle person. He’s the type of person if it meant that he would go without something to eat to make sure someone else would,” said Jacob’s uncle, Thomas Hancock.
Hours after the shooting, police arrested a 15-year-old in connection with the shooting.
While nothing will bring Jacob back, Miranda cautions others before meeting up to buy or sell anything off the internet.
“You never know if they’ll take advantage of the opportunity. Meet at a police department. I can’t replace my husband. I can’t replace my children’s amazing father,” Miranda said. “My husband’s life was worth more than an Xbox One — more than $250.”
The juvenile is charged with first-degree murder. At this point, it’s not clear if the district attorney will charge him as an adult. That decision will likely come in January at the next court hearing.
