Crime

‘I Think There’s Somebody in My House’: Teen Calls 911 From Bedroom as Intruders Ransack Her Home

I Think Theres Somebody in My House: Teen Calls 911 From Bedroom as Intruders Ransack Her Home

WXYZ-TV

A 13-year-old girl home sick from school hid under her bed and called 911 to report two intruders inside her Michigan house.

Chloe Symington called 911 in a whisper while two men ransacked her home, making off with electronics and a firearm.

“I went to my door again and looked down to see a guy looking through the table drawer next to my front door and that’s when I got freaked out,” she told Detroit ABC affiliate WXYZ-TV.

Symington talked quietly on the phone with the 911 dispatcher for nearly 20 minutes, doing her best to describe the actions of the men who didn’t know she was in the house.

“I think there’s somebody in my house,” Symington whispered to the 911 dispatcher. “I’m in my room upstairs, I hear walking downstairs.”

At one point, one of the intruders came into her room. She didn’t have time to get all the way under the bed and could only crouch halfway under it to hide, curled up in a ball.

After he left the room, Symington stayed on the phone with the dispatcher, waiting for police to arrive. They caught one of the men outside after a short pursuit, according to WXYZ, and the second man turned himself in later. Both are 19 years old and were arraigned on home invasion charges.

“My dad’s always said think now, react or panic later,” Symington told the station.

Listen to the full 911 call below:

Comments (143)

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  • Marengo Ohio Patriot
    Posted on December 18, 2011 at 1:08pm

    @sllice of life
    OH WOW… 5min instead of 20.. That’s all the difference in the world! No time to do any harm there!!
    As always stated… When an emergency happens, the police are only minutes away!

    Report Post »  
    • lukerw
      Posted on December 18, 2011 at 3:57pm

      This Township… does NOT have it’s own Police Department… but is serviced by the County and other Cities… and their Murder rate is above the National Average!

      Report Post » lukerw  
    • teamarcheson
      Posted on December 18, 2011 at 5:10pm

      20 minutes? This tells us who the COPs protect. She should have said the hose was on fire and that she had just shot the robber 20 times. The COPs would have arrived in two minutes. American COPs are just a bunch of over paid Union Thugs, Oh yea there are two or three good apples in every barrel.

      Report Post »  
    • teamarcheson
      Posted on December 18, 2011 at 5:26pm

      The women is old enough to choose to abort her baby and take its life so she is old enough to take the life of of an attacker. All American women should have the right to carry firearms so they can choose to kill their attackers.

      Report Post »  
    • Wolf
      Posted on December 18, 2011 at 6:30pm

      9-1-1… the number to call when the cops are 20 minutes away shopping for donuts…
      1-9-1-1 is the number to dial when your life is in danger and the cops are 20 minutes away shopping for donuts.
      Pure God luck this girl was uninjured.

      Report Post »  
    • Grey Eagle
      Posted on December 18, 2011 at 10:12pm

      Glad nothing happened. She is apparently mature for her age and kept her head. Good for her.

      Report Post »  
    • Exiled
      Posted on December 18, 2011 at 11:09pm

      My county is almost 40 miles wide from one end to the other. Yes, sometimes it might take more than 10 seconds to get to an address – unless you’re willing to up taxes for more patrol deputies?

      Report Post »  
    • BSdetector
      Posted on December 19, 2011 at 7:48am

      Why raise taxes? Just spend a few bucks on some 230 grain hollow points and the cops can come clean up the bodies in 10 minutes, 20 minutes, 30, whenever they feel like really.
      Imagine how much we could save on taxes if everyone was armed and protected with the Castle Doctrine. We wouldn‘t have to pay for the bad guys’ food, clothes, medical for years on end, the police wouldn’t be so overburdened and in need of overtime, and so many less leeches sucking on the teat of entitlement programs…

      Report Post » BSdetector  
    • Ruler4You
      Posted on December 19, 2011 at 11:21am

      This “IS” a common mistake that people make. It isn‘t ’your’ house. It’s the Banks and the States house. You, are just getting to live there. And apparently in sufficient solitude, as a family, to forget that there are others out there who have just as much claim to your “things” as you do. At least, in governments eyes. Its best they didn’t find you too, or they may have taken your life as well. In governments eyes, people in need have more rights than those who ‘have.’ (sarc).

      Report Post » Ruler4You  
    • Roberto G. Vasquez
      Posted on December 19, 2011 at 11:26am

      Just tell 911 that there is a naked blonde trying to get in your house and the cops will be there in seconds!

      Report Post »  
    • Buck Shane
      Posted on December 19, 2011 at 11:33am

      @ Exiled
      Your arguments are silly. I don’t know if you have ever called the police in an emergency. I have. Average response time is 21 minutes.
      In my case it has been more then 45 minutes twice in two different municipalities. The police can’t protect you. According to .a Supreme Court decision, they don’t have to protect you.
      Average response time for police is 21 minutes. Average response time for a hand gun round is about 1000 fps.
      Next time you are in trouble, call the police. My kids know where the guns are and know how to use them. They will be safer than you will be.

      Report Post » Buck Shane  
    • TH30PH1LUS
      Posted on December 19, 2011 at 11:38am

      Please consider investing in a house alarm system. I’ve lost friends who might still be alive today if they had installed one. Buying yourself a few extra seconds to reach for your weapon – totally worth it.

      Report Post » TH30PH1LUS  
    • Buck Shane
      Posted on December 19, 2011 at 11:52am

      @ TH30PH1LUS
      Absolutely right. And, a good dog would be another time saving deterrent.

      Report Post » Buck Shane  
    • Exiled
      Posted on December 19, 2011 at 12:37pm

      You would be the first to complain if there was an officer sitting in a car at every intersection just waiting for a call, too.

      Report Post »  
    • kaydeebeau
      Posted on December 19, 2011 at 1:24pm

      at my house if you can get past the German Shepherd you sure as heck ain‘t gettin’ past the buck shot – mine is a pump action just for the additional “oh $@&%” reaction from an intruder

      Report Post » kaydeebeau  
    • Tom K
      Posted on December 19, 2011 at 3:20pm

      @MARENGO OHIO PATRIOT: When seconds count, the Police are only minutes away. Too bad that brave young lady didn’t have firearms training and have actual posession of the weapon the thieves stole. She may have been able to shorten a miserable life of crime.

      Report Post »  
    • Buck Shane
      Posted on December 19, 2011 at 3:32pm

      @ Exiled
      “You would be the first to complain if there was an officer sitting in a car at every intersection just waiting for a call, too.”
      —————————————————————————————————————————————–
      Of the 18,000 murders that occurred in this country this year, the police didn’t prevent even one.
      Are you a child? I don’t want to argue with a child. Are you stupid? I don’t want to argue with someone who is stupid.
      If you are not a child and are not stupid, please post something that makes sense.

      Report Post » Buck Shane  
    • Salamander
      Posted on December 19, 2011 at 4:12pm

      It‘s a good thing she didn’t hang up, as the 9-1-1 operator would have called back! By the way, if you ever smell gas in your house (and it isn’t yours), leave the home, and leave the door open on the way out, BEFORE calling 9-1-1 to report it! And, whatever you do, DO NOT PICK UP A PHONE to make the call! Better to leave the house and call from a neighbors, where you can watch the BOOM and not EXPERIENCE it firsthand!

      Report Post »  
    • Salamander
      Posted on December 19, 2011 at 4:21pm

      There is a lot of triage in a 9-1-1 call ! The operators on 9-11 actually told people to stay where they were and let the fire department come to them (which works for the floor below and the two floors above in a fireproof building more than 9 stories tall (ladder height)! They simply did not have enough information at the time to advise otherwise. This girl really kept her head, and it sounds like the 9-1-1 operator did, too! 20 minutes must be an eternity when home alone during a robbery, which is why it is better to indicate to robbers that they’d have a better chance at another house than yours! The sound of dogs barking, shrubs cut down, garage doors closed, mail and newspapers picked up, etc. all help. A really loud alarm might work too, even if it is ONLY A BELL connected by switch to various points in a house–the burglar doesn’t know whether he/she set it off–and you could put a pressure switch under a few items, on a few doors and on a few cabinets that aren‘t moved often or can be left closed or that ’zone‘ disabled when not in the ’away’ position. If you do this, don‘t brag about ’how smart’ you are–just install it and let family members know how it operates.

      Report Post »  
    • StrongWesternbabeluvinherWesternMAN
      Posted on December 19, 2011 at 10:11pm

      Something really jumps out here……Why are we seeing the face of the THIRTEEN year old girl……it is one thing to HEAR her call…..but for her safety, shouldn’t her face be blurred out? Faces travel fast in this age of instant news, especially among teenagers……wouldn’t it have been better to let this child tell who she wants or whom her parents allow her to confide in? When stories about children are told, their identities (including facial features) should be protected until they are adults and give their consent as adults.

      Report Post »  
  • LeeroyJenkins
    Posted on December 18, 2011 at 1:06pm

    Are they going to guantanamo bay? She was obviously terrorized and put through horrific tragedy…

    Report Post »  
    • teamarcheson
      Posted on December 18, 2011 at 5:13pm

      The girl lured the two men into her house and tried to get them into her bedroom. These guys are innocent.

       
  • Slice_Of_Life
    Posted on December 18, 2011 at 12:47pm

    If you listened to the 911 call, the deputies arrived in a little over 5 minutes. The dispatcher and the deputies made sure it was safe for this brave young woman to leave her room. Great job to the deputies for apprehending the one suspect near the scene.

    Report Post » Slice_Of_Life  
    • Rumrunner3
      Posted on December 18, 2011 at 8:14pm

      then why did she whisper in the dispatcher for nearly 20 minutes. exchanging recipe’s

      Report Post » Rumrunner3  
    • Exiled
      Posted on December 18, 2011 at 11:07pm

      Because the dispatcher won’t hang up until the officers make contact with the caller – not just “arrive on scene”.

      Report Post »  
    • Exiled
      Posted on December 18, 2011 at 11:16pm

      At 4:30, you can hear that the police have already seen somebody in the backyard, so they’ve been on scene for longer.

      Report Post »  
    • Salamander
      Posted on December 19, 2011 at 4:25pm

      Yes, they might have spent some time waiting for backup while assessing the situation. Not knowing whether the burglars were armed, they wouldn’t want to create a hostage situation. I can imagine they’d want to observe things a bit and get backup in place, while hearing from the 9-1-1 operator that things were still stable. 15 minutes isn’t a lot of time to get all the ducks in a row, and if things had deteriorated, they‘d go to ’plan 2′ in a heartbeat!

      Report Post »  
  • pkiddy
    Posted on December 18, 2011 at 12:45pm

    The time it took for the police to respond surprises me.

    Report Post »  
    • lukerw
      Posted on December 18, 2011 at 1:23pm

      It depends upon… where she lives… the size of the police force… and what other Criminals are being engaged.

      Report Post » lukerw  
    • Exiled
      Posted on December 18, 2011 at 11:19pm

      4 minutes is long? If the officer was 4 miles away, that’s 60 mph through neighborhoods. Since this was county, expect a bit further – 8 miles away driving at 120 mph would get him there in 4 minutes. How fast do you want the deputy to drive before you start griping that deputies drive too fast?

      Report Post »  
  • UrbanCombatSurvivor
    Posted on December 18, 2011 at 12:42pm

    Anyone who doesn’t understand why this girl should have had access to a gun, PLEASE go to Google, and type in “No Duty”, and learn exactly how safe you aren’t.

    Report Post »  
  • lukerw
    Posted on December 18, 2011 at 12:41pm

    This makes me want to have… a Neighborhood Posse… to protect LatchKey Kids!

    Report Post » lukerw  
    • loriann12
      Posted on December 19, 2011 at 7:46am

      By technical definition, she wasn’t a latchkey kid. She was home sick. In the military (as in housing), a child can be left alone at the age of 10, and at the age of 12 can be in charge of younger siblings. A latchekey kid is one who comes home everyday to an empty house.

      Report Post »  
  • palerider54
    Posted on December 18, 2011 at 12:40pm

    Unless this girl lives WAY WAY OUT IN THE COUNTRY, there is no excuse for a 20 minute response time to a home invasion. My wife and I both carry Glock 23′s and we keep a Tarus Judge loaded with #4 shot and 45 long hollow points every other round by the night stand.
    They Krispy Cream hot dough nut sign must have been on.

    Report Post »  
    • Exiled
      Posted on December 18, 2011 at 11:17pm

      It was less than a 4 minute response time. Where in the world do you get 20 minutes?

      Report Post »  
    • Exiled
      Posted on December 18, 2011 at 11:21pm

      You apparently didn’t listen to the call. It’s obvious the police are already making their way through the backyard – and perhaps have already apprehended somebody at the 4:30 mark. The deputies will clear the house (multiple story houses will take some time) and try to find the caller (without getting themselves shot in the back while they look.)

      Report Post »  
  • chasbronson
    Posted on December 18, 2011 at 12:38pm

    Lesson learned,when home alone the weapon should stay with you.That whole scene could have been a whole lot uglier had the criminals found out she was there alone. I would never allow my 13 year old teenage daughter home alone like that.

    Report Post »  
    • 1me2ao
      Posted on December 18, 2011 at 9:52pm

      i dont have a nanny but i do have a career and sometimes kids stay by themselves. i guess i ma just a bad parent.

      Report Post »  
    • Homeschoolmama
      Posted on December 18, 2011 at 10:53pm

      Really?! 13 is too young to stay home alone? She’ll be an adult in a few years, will she be allowed to stay home alone then? Do you let her use the stove yet, or is that off limits too? My 10 year old stay home with his younger sister and they’ve been doing that for a long time?

      Report Post »  
    • Exiled
      Posted on December 18, 2011 at 11:22pm

      13 is too young to be home alone? Really? I got my drivers license at 14.

      Report Post »  
  • abbygirl1994
    Posted on December 18, 2011 at 12:32pm

    20 Minutes…. shame on you Michigan.. Notice how they didn’t give us a town?? They could have found more than a ramsackled house.. God was watching out for this young woman!!

    Report Post » abbygirl1994  
    • redbone007
      Posted on December 18, 2011 at 12:46pm

      20 minutes later….damm!!

      Report Post » redbone007  
    • lukerw
      Posted on December 18, 2011 at 1:29pm

      You can be killed in Detroit for trying to stop kids from stealing your tire… Pontiac laid off it’s entire Police Force… and other cities have even more Crime & Killing, in proportion. And, things are going to get worse!

      Report Post » lukerw  
    • JimmyP
      Posted on December 18, 2011 at 11:04pm

      Uh, the videos said Harrison Twp.

      Report Post » JimmyP  
    • Exiled
      Posted on December 18, 2011 at 11:24pm

      Where is everybody getting 20 minutes? Did you not listen to the call? You can HEAR the deputies in the background after 4 minutes!

      Report Post »  
  • Turtleman
    Posted on December 18, 2011 at 12:13pm

    Here in Ohio we were told that if Issue 2 passed there would not be enough cops to save you from being robbed or raped. A 20 minute response time is plenty enough for a disastrous result. We must be prepared to protect ourselves.

    Report Post »  
    • Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
      Posted on December 18, 2011 at 12:29pm

      Indeed, and the way this girl handled the matter spoke volumes both for her courage and calm headedness, along with the way her father said “React first and panic later.”

      This could have been so much worse.

      Report Post » Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}  
  • kfouche
    Posted on December 18, 2011 at 12:08pm

    What a brave smart kid. Her parents must be very proud and thankful, this could have been a tragedy. I am also grateful that she had such a great 911 dispatcher, she was such a calming force; she could talk someone through anything. That dispatcher was the example of how this service should work. Bravo! A great story.

    Report Post »  
  • Abgewichst
    Posted on December 18, 2011 at 12:05pm

    Dialing 911 takes seconds. Waiting for help could take the rest of your life. My property, auto and life insurance is provided by Sig Sauer and Mossberg. We don’t dial 911. The non emergency number will do. I don’t want to shoot someone and then have someone else save them. Seems self defeating.

    Report Post » Abgewichst  
  • AmericanStrega
    Posted on December 18, 2011 at 12:05pm

    Good for her! Hope the criminals get time for this and not come back for her once they’re out.

    Report Post »  
    • palerider54
      Posted on December 18, 2011 at 12:43pm

      If that was my house and my daughter, the criminails are the ones that would be hunted when they got out.

      Report Post »  
  • Robert Hawk
    Posted on December 18, 2011 at 12:02pm

    This is one of the reasons we have a second amendment. In her case she was lucky the police were free to answer her call, otherwise we could be talking about another more evil crime. Now that these guys are charged with home invasion and burglary, they will be out of Jail soon and very focused on discussing the issue with this young lady.

    Parents, don’t be afraid to teach you children to use weapons, it could save their life in situations such as this. Guard against the use of pistols as they are highly inaccurate in the hands of a nervous teen. Shotguns are the preferred weapon for close quarters combat.

    This is simply the beginning of these types of invasions. As times get worse, and people get more desperate, these invasions will increase in volume, especially in cities and the suburbs of cities. They are a rare occurrence in the country are most proposed invaders understand that country folks are well armed and trained to use those arms.

    Report Post » Robert Hawk  
  • Sheepdog911
    Posted on December 18, 2011 at 11:54am

    “Chloe Symington called 911 in a whisper while two men ransacked her home, making off with electronics and a firearm.” If she had gotten to and used the now stolen firearm, this would have actually had a happy ending. Moral of the story should be that you call 911 AFTER you deal with the emergency, not during and hope for a less-than-satisfactory ending. Hello, thinking now mean like you dad said should be interpreted to mean that you go on the offensive, end the threat and only then call 911. Calling 911 should only be a first action in the event of something that you can’t handle … like a fire or medical emergency.

    Report Post » Sheepdog911  
    • dontbotherme
      Posted on December 18, 2011 at 3:26pm

      Sheepdog – This did have a happy ending. The little girl is safe & the criminals are behind bars.

      Report Post »  
    • Dismayed Veteran
      Posted on December 19, 2011 at 10:38am

      The moral of the story should be keep a firearm in every room. The firearm downstairs was, from a practical point of view, a million miles away.

      Report Post » Dismayed Veteran  
  • tbolt71
    Posted on December 18, 2011 at 11:48am

    you can either pack a weapon or keep a cop on your shoulder….your choice…ammunition is cheaper than donuts

    Report Post »  
    • chasbronson
      Posted on December 18, 2011 at 12:33pm

      Made me laugh ,your not kidding ! 1 donut$.99 .It all depends on the flavor you like.[for both.]Ammunition cartridge average $.40.russian ak surplus $.20.

      Report Post »  
  • Smokepole
    Posted on December 18, 2011 at 11:40am

    She needs a Glock!

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6RNcFs-JwOQ&feature=related

    Report Post » Smokepole  
    • V-MAN MACE
      Posted on December 18, 2011 at 11:44am

      2nd Amendment and the Castle Law changes this story to ” I think there’s somebody DEAD in my house.”

      Report Post » V-MAN MACE  
    • Jomil48
      Posted on December 18, 2011 at 11:49am

      A ladies smith does wonders in a situation like that, she should be taught how and when to use it.

      Report Post »  
    • watashbuddyfriend
      Posted on December 18, 2011 at 11:50am

      Yes, a glock would help, the the dummy at the 911 station needs to be one with a lot more HELP!

      Report Post »  
  • YepImaConservative
    Posted on December 18, 2011 at 11:38am

    Kid did the right thing. Good for her for listening to her Father’s life schooling and giving him some credit. This kid will probably grow up prepared for life’s unexpected twists based on how she reacted in this instance and continued advice taken from an intelligent parent and rise to other occasions.

    As opposed to the story about the kid who tweeted the smart-@ssed quip about her Governor, gets fan mail and praise from peers and adults alike. That kid will probably end up at an OWS rally somewhere and in somebody’s face, and the kid above will probably be a business owner and job provider. We can only hope she does anyways.

    Report Post » YepImaConservative  
  • Joe Shmoe
    Posted on December 18, 2011 at 11:33am

    I can think if no area near Detroit wouldn’t have a patrol vehicle closer than 20 minutes away. What a pathetic “emergency” response.

    Report Post »  
    • Exiled
      Posted on December 18, 2011 at 11:27pm

      I keep seeing “20 minute” complaint posts! WHERE are you people getting this number? It’s obvious after only 4 minutes that the deputies were in the backyard.

      Report Post »  
  • RodT82721
    Posted on December 18, 2011 at 11:32am

    This just goes to show that you don’t need to have a gun. The police are only a phone call and 20 minutes away!
    These 2 young men were just doing a little Christmas shopping. The poor dears probably had (or are still having) a bad upbringing. Not their fault.

    Report Post »  
  • SKR8PN
    Posted on December 18, 2011 at 11:32am

    20 minutes is WAY to long to have to wait for help. To bad she didn’t get to use the firearm before the thieves took it. She could have saved the taxpayers a lot of money.

    Report Post » SKR8PN  
    • SargeM
      Posted on December 18, 2011 at 12:34pm

      If you listen to the audio, the dispatcher mentions the police have already spotted one of the individuals and cautions the child to remain hidden still. This was slightly before the 5 1/2 min mark, so the police must have been there at that point. I think someone stayed on the phone with the child during the capture and it was safe for her to come out from her hiding place. THAT duration was 20 min…. The police, though, obviously responded almost immediately, thank goodness!

      Report Post »  
  • AxelPhantom
    Posted on December 18, 2011 at 11:29am

    20 minutes? That is a long response time, unless she was way out in an unincorporated area. Glad she was safe though.

    Report Post »  
  • The_Postal
    Posted on December 18, 2011 at 11:28am

    Good girl. I pray my daughter could keep her head so well in such a horrible situation. I’m sure her parents are very proud and relieved.

    Report Post » The_Postal  
  • randy
    Posted on December 18, 2011 at 11:28am

    What a brave girl!

    Report Post » randy  
  • wingedwolf
    Posted on December 18, 2011 at 11:22am

    WOW, what a smart kid. Great idea what her dad taught her, too!

    Report Post » wingedwolf  
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