Connecticut family enjoying sun-dappled park face horrific nightmare that suddenly ran at them from nearby woods

A Connecticut family has revealed their horror at seeing two drunk machete-wielding gunmen run at them in a local community park.

Mom Mara Anderson was throwing around a frisbee with her husband and seven-year-old son Rayden when the 'irate' men started sprinting at them from the nearby woods. They immediately fled and hid in their truck. 

'It was so scary, and it's overwhelming talking about it because nothing like this happens in this town,' Anderson told WFSB. 

The family was charged at by the men on a park's recreation fields in Columbia, a Connecticut town of just over 5,000.

'All of a sudden, they just start sprinting at us full out and irate, where he's swinging his machete around,' Anderson added.

The Anderson family, with seven-year-old Rayden pictured front and Mara Anderson pictured next to her husband

Benjamin Deleon-Chach, 43 and Fabian Simaj-Tum, 53, allegedly charged at the Anderson family while under the influence of alcohol

After the family was safe in their car, they called 911 and helped authorities locate the suspects.

At around 3 pm, state police apprehended two men on Route 66 after they allegedly left the park.

They were identified as Benjamin Deleon-Chach, 43 and Fabian Simaj-Tum, 53.

Both were arrested and charged with second degree breach of peace, while Deleon-Chach was also charged with driving under the influence, failure to drive in the correct lane and driving without a license.

It is unclear why the men ran at the family in the park, but Anderson wrote on Facebook that they were 'clearly not sober.' 

Investigators believe they had been trying to catch crawfish at a nearby creek. 

Mara Anderson speaks to WSFB near the playground where they were playing frisbee on Monday before the men ran at them

Anderson hugs her son. She said the men that ran at them in the park were 'clearly not sober.'

An overhead shot of the fields the family was enjoying their Monday afternoon at. The playground can be seen in the top right

The two men told police they brought the machetes to protect themselves against the 'multiple' snakes they encountered.

Their vehicle was pulled over in 'contained items consistent with the individual stories,' according to an arrest report by the state police.

They were both released on $1,000 bond and are due to appear in court on July 31.

Young Rayden described his terror at watching the events unfold.

'It was very scary, I was crying and stuff… I want to know what’s happening, so I feel comfortable coming back to the park,' he said. 

Young Rayden tells WSFB reporter Dylan Fearon about his terrifying experience, saying: 'I want to know what’s happening, so I feel comfortable coming back to the park'

Anderson warned parents to keep their eyes open to potential dangers, even in areas that appear secure

His mom added: 'Yes, it was scary for us but I want parents to be prepared no matter what,' she said. 'There are people out there with crazy motives.'

She also took to her Facebook on Wednesday to further clarify what happened, saying her family wasn't 'attacked' by the men. 

'We were simply ran at by them. Being at a kids park, and spotting two drunk men holding and waving weapons is a red flag,' she wrote.

She said officers also told her one of the men was four times above the legal intoxication limit when they were pulled over.

'I understand if they were actually fishing for crawfish, and using the machetes for snakes,' she wrote. 

'But carrying and displaying ANY WEAPON under that level of intoxication ON A KIDS' PLAYGROUND AREA while running in a family's direction is NOT OKAY.'