Woman Kills Robber After Taking His Gun : Crime: Actress shoots man twice as he struggles with her boyfriend. ‘They’re very lucky to be alive,’ officer says.

In what Los Angeles police described as a “do-or-die situation,” a 24-year-old actress shot and killed a robber in her Miracle Mile-area apartment as he struggled with her boyfriend.

The actress, Noelle Miller, had never used a gun before, and a police official applauded her courage in taking the weapon from the assailant.

Hersie Jones, 44, forced his way into Miller’s third-floor apartment about 6:10 p.m. Monday by holding her boyfriend at gunpoint and claiming that he was a police officer, police said Tuesday.

Jones apparently had been hiding in a third-floor hallway of the building. Police said he was dressed in a gray three-piece suit and armed with 9-millimeter semiautomatic handgun, and that he flashed a security guard’s badge and confronted Miller’s boyfriend, Jay Cohen, 44, as he came home. Officials said they were uncertain how Jones gained entry into the secured building, a four-story complex.

The apartment’s owners and managers declined to be interviewed.

Jones ordered the couple into the apartment, forced them to lie face-down on the floor and demanded money and drugs, Detective Art Placencia said.

Placencia said Jones attempted to bind Cohen’s hands with duct tape and the two began to struggle.

Cohen “knew what he (Jones) was doing,” said Placencia. “He realized he was using two hands to tear the duct tape.”

Although unable to stand, Cohen began grappling with his attacker, said Detective Dan Andrews of the Wilshire station.

Andrews said that as Miller screamed for the men to stop fighting, she noticed that Jones had put his gun in the waistband of his slacks. She grabbed the weapon and shot him twice.

The first bullet entered Jones’ back, went through him and bruised Cohen’s midsection. As Jones continued to struggle with Cohen, Miller shot him a second time, in the neck.

“I’m sure for them (Cohen and Miller) it felt like an eternity, but it took only about 10 minutes,” Andrews said.

The couple called police. Jones was brought to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and pronounced dead at 6:57 p.m., Andrews said. Cohen was treated for head wounds and bruises. Miller was unhurt.

In 1985, police said, Jones was convicted of breaking into a home, robbing its inhabitants, assaulting them and holding them captive. He received a three-year prison sentence and was paroled in 1986.

Miller and Cohen were unavailable for comment.

Recounting the events, Andrews said: “I think three things are very important here. No. 1, it was a do-or-die situation. Two young people prone and about to get their hands duct-taped. We can speculate what could have happened. Two, I think she demonstrated bravery to get involved in this. And third and foremost, I think they’re very lucky to be alive.”