A call to police by a 13-year-old boy who was home alone Tuesday afternoon, aided officers in preventing an attempted burglary at the Fullerton residence and led to the arrest of one suspect.
The boy was at home around 12:30 p.m. when he heard knocks on the door by two men and a woman, according to Fullerton police Sgt. Andrew Goodrich.
"When I went to check I saw an African-American woman that I didn't recognize, so I just didn't answer," according to the boy.
At that point, the suspects entered the home, prompting the 13-year-old to call the police.
"I saw two men walking in the backyard," says the boy. "I didn't know what they were doing so I just stayed hidden in my room."
When officers arrived on scene, the assailants got into a car and drove away, leading to a chase that included a collision with a another car at Gilbert Street and Malvern Avenue and ended near La Mirada Boulevard and Imperial Highway in La Mirada, Goodrich said.
The suspects’ car came to a stop after it slammed into a fire hydrant, he added.
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Suspect Deon William Oden, 23, was apprehended by police and was booked on suspicion of burglary, felony evading, felony hit-and-run and other charges, Goodrich said.
The other two suspects remain at large.
“This method of residential burglary, sometimes referred to as ‘knock-knock bandits,’ is becoming more common,” said Fullerton police Capt. Dan Hughes, who will soon become the department's interim police chief.
Goodrich told the OC Register that investigators are looking into whether the suspects may be tied to other burglaries in the area.
Police say the 13-year-old is a hero, but don't try telling him that.
"I think the police are the heroes," says the boy, "because they were able to catch them."
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