California Teen Hides in Closet on Phone with 911 as Intruders Rob Home
Teen's fast thinking and calm resulted in burglars walking into arms of cops.
March 21, 2013 -- A California teenager's fast thinking while hiding in a closet during a burglary resulted in the thieves leaving her house and walking into the handcuffs of the police waiting outside.
Doyin Oladipupo, 15, says that she hid in her parents walk-in closet when she heard the door bell ring and then the alarm of her family's home security system.
"I took off my shoes because I didn't want them to hear me, and I grabbed [the] phone," she told ABC News.
While on the phone with the 911 dispatcher, the Chula Vista, Calif., teen told the operator that there was an intruder in her house. The operator asked Doyin is she could still hear him upstairs.
At one point during the break-in, the operator could head one of the intruders say, "Bring the, bring the bucket over here."
Crouching underneath a rack of clothes, Doyin remained perfectly still when seconds later the intruders entered and began stealing from her parents' bedroom.
"I was so scared because I could see them. And I thought they were going to see me. They were just taking things from my mom," she said.
The 911 dispatcher had the high schooler remain silent on the line. Doyin was tapping on the phone to answer the operator's questions.
"My officers want you to know that your whole house is surrounded, you're in safe hands, but just stay where you are," the dispatcher said on the 911 call.
Minutes later the burglars, who were three teenagers, left the house and ran into police in the driveway where they were arrested.
"She was clearly frightened, but remarkably calm," Officer Gary Wedge told ABC News.
Doyin's relieved mother says she is simply in "awe" of her brave daughter.
"My daughter's strong," Adebisi Jinado said. "I didn't even know how strong she was, and the police told me what happened. She's got an inner strength and it showed yesterday."