14-year-old girl hides, calls 911 during burglary

Tuesday, July 29, 2014
14-year-old girl hides, calls 911 during burglary
A 14-year-old girl hid in a closet and called 911 Monday during a break-in attempt at her Rossmoor home.

ROSSMOOR, Calif. (KABC) -- A 14-year-old girl hid in a closet and called 911 last Monday morning during a break-in attempt at her Rossmoor home - a move that helped deputies arrest two suspects.

The girl was home alone, while her parents were at work. The 911 call captures the terrifying moments.

The teen's father said his daughter texted him that someone was at the front door, which to him was an immediate red flag.

"She handled it like a champion," said the teen's father, who declined to be named.

The teen did exactly what dispatcher Candace Moran needed her to do: stay calm and provide information while deputies were en route.

"It feels like a long time on my end too. It could be a few minutes, but trying to tell somebody like that, it seems like forever," Moran said. "I'm glad it ended the way it did."

Deputies arrested two male juveniles who had jumped over fences into a neighbor's yard.

The teen's father said his two daughters have been told how to handle stressful situations. He's relieved his 14-year-old didn't panic and let fear take over.

"In the event there's any kind of emergency... they have to remain calm and use their brain. I think she did a great job of showing that," he said.