HAMMOND - A convicted felon was shot to death after he forced his way into a house while armed with a shovel and lug wrench, deputies said.

According to the Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff's Office, deputies found Robert Rheams, 51, dead at the home on Klein Road after responding to a reported home invasion early Sunday morning. Deputies later learned the victim was there with her two young children when Rheams got into the home.

The department said the woman confronted Rheams when he entered her bedroom and fatally shot him. Officials with the Tangipahoa Sheriff's Office say two children were asleep inside the home when the incident occurred.

Rheams was out on parole at the time of the shooting, having served 20 years in prison for armed robbery. Deputies also believe he tried to carjack someone just hours before the shooting. 

No one was arrested, but prosecutors are expected to review the case. 

Chief Deputy Jimmy Travis said in a statement that it appeared to be a case of "a homeowner exercising second amendment rights to protect herself and her children."