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Systems Starting at $69 + 40% Off Equipment
Systems Starting at $69 + 40% Off Equipment
Systems Starting at $69 + 40% Off Equipment
Systems Starting at $69 + 40% Off Equipment
Twelve-year-old Branden Jones was home from school with a stuffy nose Wednesday morning when there was a knock at the door. His uncle had just left their Rincon Valley house near Santa Rosa to run a short errand, so he was alone. Branden peeked out the window and saw a stranger at the door. Something wasn't right about the woman, who was wearing a red jacket, jeans and blue Ugg boots.What Branden Did Right
“She was looking around, and kind of nervous,” said Branden, a sixth grader at Austin Creek Elementary School. Frightened, he retreated down the hall toward his parents' room. That's when he heard the front door open — it had been left unlocked. “I went into Mom and Dad's room and slammed the door,” he said. After some tense moments, he peeked out to see the woman scurrying out the front door — carrying his laptop computer.What Happened Next
Branden ran back to his room, where he keeps a muzzle-loading rifle, a gift from his granddad. The old-fashioned firearm was unloaded, but he figured it would scare the intruder. Then he went to a window and watched the woman drive away in a white car. “I tried to see what she looked like the best I could,” Branden said. Then he spotted the license plate number and typed it into his cellphone.Police Jump on the Case He dialed 911 after calling his mom at work. Branden was shaken when deputies came to the house to talk to him, said Sonoma County sheriff's Sgt. Mike Raasch. The license plate number came back to a Santa Rosa woman named Karen Holman, who pleaded guilty to one count of first-degree burglary and one of possession of stolen property in a 2009 case, earning a prison sentence, Raasch said. Long Arm of the Law
On Wednesday, a deputy saw Holman driving near Maria Carrillo High School at about 3:15 p.m. with her 16-year-old daughter in the car, pulled her over and arrested her, authorities said. The daughter, who was not reported to have taken part in the burglary, was told that she could leave, but then began walking away with the laptop. The teen was arrested for suspected possession of stolen property and booked into Sonoma County Juvenile Hall. Holman was arrested for suspected burglary and receipt of stolen property, both felonies.A Proud Father
On Thursday, Branden's dad Richard Jones said he's proud of the boy. “I think he did everything perfectly,” he said. Branden showed quick thinking when he looked for the license plate, his father said. “He got every number, in order,” Jones said. “I'm happy it turned out the way it did.”I’ve written often on the dangers of confronting burglars in the home, and agree with Branden’s dad: this one did end well. This story also demonstrates several recurring points about residential crime in the US:
