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That's how 13-year-old Alexis Stannis describes what she and younger brother Darren did -- hiding in a bedroom closet and calling 911 -- when intruders broke into their Pompano Beach, Fla., home on Thursday.
Both children were honored Monday for their quick reaction and calm demeanor during the incident.
While their parents were at work, 10-year-old Darren told his older sister he heard suspicious sounds outside the house. Alexis then saw intruders trying to come inside through an unlocked back window.
"Well, they knocked on my front door I didn't answer, and I saw one of them walk around the house and then I just went back to my room, and then Darren realizes they're on the back porch trying to break in."
Alexis grabbed Darren and a cell phone, and the two hid inside a closet. Alexis called 911. In a shaky voice, she provided the necessary information to the dispatcher and police, who arrived and surrounded the house.
"They were like, where are they in the house? Do you hear them? What's going on? Are you still in your closet? Yeah."
When police entered the home, they found three older teens hiding in the closet of another bedroom.
The three teens, one 17 years old and two who are 15, were caught with a knife, which they admitted to using to break into the house next door, police said.
All three were charged with armed burglary, NBCMiami.com reported.
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The Stannises' mother, Tracey Stout, said she was proud of both her children for being so calm in such a dangerous situation.
"I'm really proud of my kids, they did a good job," she told reporters. "It's hard listening to the tape the 911 call but they really did a good job."
Both children were awarded with lapel pins and awards of excellence by Broward County Sheriff Al Lamberti at a press conference on Monday.
Lamberti commended Alexis for her bravery and quick actions.
"She responded better than a lot of adults would in a very similar situation. She remained calm," Lamberti told NBCMiami.com.
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I am proud of this girl and her brother. The only way it could have ended better is for the armed thieves to have been shot.
The armed thieves were teenagers themselves who had not even attempted to assault anyone with the knife they had. And you think they deserved to die for that???? Sounds like you are "Dr Dontknowmuch".
However, the thieves should be grateful that only unarmed kids were in the house. Had it been a gun owning adult they very well may have been shot. I dunno about you but people who break into my house don't get the courtesy of the 3rd degree before I pull the trigger on site. But I would never call that a "better ending"
uhm yeah hi . im the victim in this situation . not lieing. but uh Dr Knowitall thankyou but being shot isnt necessary , they didnt know we were in the house cause they knocked & we didnt answer . so they thought that no one was there. ok . & we are perfectly fine , thankyou for your concern (:
Good job Alexis and Darrin!
Well, I don't think shooting them would be justified but if these teen boys found the children hiding, panick would have set in and with todays violent TV, News and Video Games, there is no telling what could have happened. Now if the yeenage girl shot them,different story altogether. These children were brave and cool headed and any parent would be proud of them. I am and I'm not their father!
Alexis and Darrin your bravery and straight thinking should help other parents out there teach their children the finer part of keeping your cool and risking everything for each other.
Parents...take note!
I know saying they needed to be shot sounded extreme but 13 years 4 months and 4 days ago my 16 year old daughter was raped and beaten by two 16 year old teenagers. They broke into our house thinking nobody was at home. My baby was home sick from school and it could have been much worse but a neighbor heard one of the animals ,excuse me misunderstood teenagers,whooping like Tarzan. I had to listen to her tell exactly what happened to a courtroom full of people what they did to her. It took her almost three years before she would even go out with her friends. So now when I hear about things like this it brings out the hate in me .
Again I think Alexis and her brother Darren were very brave and smart for how they handled this bad situation and they are very lucky the intruders did not find them.
My condolences Knowitall. THAT is a nightmare beyond my comprehension. It is no wonder you had the reaction... I wonder how anyone maintains their sanity in cases like this...AWFUL...My feeling is this: Whatever happens to home invaders is their own fault. We have to protect our families. Alexis and Darren were very lucky. You are all too aware of how much worse this could have been.
Way to go Alexis. You and your brother are to be commended for such bravery. I am a lot older than you and I don't think I would have handled it as good as you did.
Yes, way to go! Glad you are both safe.
And I bet those boys learned a lesson too (better @ 17 &15, and not 37 & 35).
My question is what are a 13 & 10 year old doing at home alone????? I believe that it is against the law in some states to leave minors of that age unattended at home. I sure as heck would never leave children of that age home alone.............
Roscoe2u, nothing wrong with kids that age being home alone. That age is more than capable of watching themselves. Your view of the world is just more of the nanny state that thinks kids are helpless.
It's summer. Schools are out. Where else would you suggest all the millions of kids that age go during the day? The mall? They're better off at home and knowing what to do in that situation.
I was allowed to stay home by myself at 11 and watching my brother when I was 12. It really depends on the child. Alexis is obviously old enough to handle a tough situation. My daughter is 10 and though she is responsible and follows the house rules, I don't know that she would be able to handle this situation. But you can be sure we'll have many conversations about what to do in a crisis.
My husband works from home and has had several instances when he caught punks casing our home during the day. It happens when the high school lets out for the summer. Shocked the hell out of them when he opened the door with cell phone in hand and took a picture of them as their buddy was heading out of our side yard.
In most states 13 is old enough to babysit. I know I had a summer job babysitting my youngest cousin at 12 in Florida.
Always one in every crowd, they just have to question the situation and imply the parents are responsible by making bad choices the "I would never make".
When I was 13 I was not only staying home with my then 7-year old brother, I had paying jobs babysitting for infants and toddlers. At what age are kids old enough to stay home alone? 18?
Most states just have general "guidelines" as opposed to laws about this. Most of them say around 10 or 11 is old enough to be home by yourself. Perhaps you were immature, irresponsible, or your parents were over-protective. I babysat starting at 11 and by 13 I was responsible enough to watch all of my siblings for extended periods, as well as having a very successful babysitting business. Heck, when I was 13 I even went to Alaska for a month in the summer to babysit some kids. They are definitely old enough to be home alone, and clearly showed that they have the maturity to handle a bad situation. Sounds like a case of good parenting to me.
13 is not too young to be alone in most states. My wife and oldest daughter babysat children at 13 years old. They took care of infants and toddlers. It's all a matter of maturity. My older grandson is 14 and I would not leave him by himself but one of my grandaughters is 10 and I would leave her during the day for a few hours if needed. A difference in maturity.
Great job kids! I had my children read this article to help them know what to do if a similar situation occurs.
Couldn't help but laugh (at the reporter, not the situation) about the caption under the picture: "Alexis Stannis, along with her younger brother, helped police nab three burgers by calling 911 from a bedroom closet." Ummm....yum??
The kds did what they should have done. In the end, no one was hurt and the burglars may have been caught before they could become career criminals. Good job Alexis and Darren.
The caption for the picture above needs to be changed:
Alexis Stannis, along with her younger brother, helped police nab three burgers by calling 911 from a bedroom closet.
Two days in a row this has happened. Hollywood yesterday and Pompano Beach today.... Wow. This is so scary to me. I am so glad everyone is ok and safe.
Thanks to her good thinking, the community has 3 less burglars on the streets! Good job! If it's OK with the community, I would like to share an article that might be informative to readers on how to better protect your home from a burglar:
Burglar Reveals 15 Trade Secrets - A Look Into The Mind of a Burglar
simplisafe.com/blog/burglar-reveals-15-trade-secrets-look-mind-burglar
Feel free to share or re-post!
Who was in more danger, the kids or the burglars? Gingervitis leaves you with no soul.
"When police entered the home, they found three older teens hiding in the closet of another bedroom."
hahahhahahahahaha.............Can't make this stuff up. It goes to show, criminals are dumber than they look. I bet at least one of them crap their pants. Alexis makes these punks look like chickens.
Good job! Glad the thieves got caught. With a knife, who knows what could have happened had they discovered the siblings in the closet?
These burglars are garbage. I wonder what they would have done to those kids if they'd found them. Worthless pieces of crap need to be taken out and shot. There's no hope for them.
Excellent Job!There are several important measures that you can take. If enough people start to practice some safety measures then these criminals will soon get the message that the public is no longer going to be a push over for their tactics. The more security steps you take the harder you make it for them to commit the crime. You can make them wonder every time they contemplate what could be in a home that is going to get them caught. Put enough pressure on them and perhaps the home invasion crime rate will decrease. As a parent the most important thing is my child's safety. This blog covers how a mother is dealing with a heartbreaking experience and how you can better protect your kids. This is the link: