Home Alone: 11-Year-Old Florida Boy Helps Catch Intruders
June 22, 2012— -- An 11-year-old boy from Hollywood, Fla., helped police arrest three suspects who broke into his home Thursday evening while he hid under his bed.
The boy, Luis Gutierrez Jr., was home alone when he heard glass shattering and voices in the house. Fearful, he hid under his bed and called 911 for help.
His parents were at a gas station when the home invasion occurred, he told the emergency responder.
While he could not provide the responder with information about the suspects' appearances, he was able to say that he heard at least 2 men inside his house.
During the call, the 911 operator is overheard telling someone, "I don't know if it's real or not."
To which Gutierrez cries out, "It's real! It's real!"
The responder told Gutierrez to stay inside his room and on the phone with her until the police arrived. She made sure that the officers met him at his bedroom window to take him to safety.
Two suspects were still inside the home when police responded to the scene, according to a police statement.
Carol Pannunzio, who lives across the street from the Gutierrez's, said she was in her kitchen when she heard her dog barking in her living room.
She looked out her window and saw policemen with their guns drawn outside the Gutierrez' home, she said.
"In fact, one policeman had a shield in front of him," she said. "Later on, they brought a K-9 unit. The dog wasn't in the house that long, but they did go in the house."
Pannunzio said she saw police arrest two African American men outside the home.
Greg Pickett, who lives next door, said he did not hear any glass shattering, but saw one of the suspects running out the back of the house.
Police ultimately apprehended and charged the three suspects with burglary of a structure/occupied, grand theft, and possession of burglary tools, according to the media release.
"The quick thinking and smart actions of the child and the rapid response of the officers led to a successful outcome in this incident," said Lt. Nicole Coffin in a prepared statement.
