As he thanked the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s dispatcher who took his dramatic phone call, the 7-year-old hero who locked himself and his sister in a bathroom and called 911 when armed robbers invaded his home explained how he knew what to do in such a terrifying situation — his mom makes him rehearse what to do in an emergency.
“We practice it every day,” the boy said at a Wednesday press conference.
The boy was introduced only as Carlos. His last name was not revealed by police because the three men who broke into his Norwalk, Calif., home Tuesday are still at large.
Desperate call
Wearing a Los Angeles Sheriff’s baseball cap, Carlos was cool while talking about his ordeal. The dispatcher who handled his call, Monique Patino, was the one who got emotional while recounting the dramatic call.
According to police reports, three armed men burst into Carlos’ home after his sister went out to the car to retrieve her lunch box and left the house door open when she returned. While the gunmen confronted Carlos’ parents and held them at gunpoint, the quick-thinking Carlos took his sister and a phone into the bathroom and locked the door.
As he had been taught, he dialed 911.
Patino answered: “911. State your emergency.”
“Um, there’s some, um, there’s some guys that are going to kill my mom and my dad. Can you come, please?” Carlos replies.
Carlos was scared, the terror evident in his voice. But he was also collected and coherent, stating his situation and concisely answering Patino’s questions.
Fear through a phone
“Take a deep breath, I have officers coming,” Patino told Carlos.