Calif. police seek gunmen after boy's 911 call

3/10/2010

NORWALK, Calif. — Authorities said Wednesday that they are "astounded" by the heroic actions of a 7-year-old boy who hid with his younger sister in a bathroom and called 911 while armed robbers broke into his home and threatened his parents.

"I'm still astounded by his mindset," Los Angeles County Sheriff's Sgt. Douglas Jensen said. "To be able to think about getting his sister, grabbing his phone, locking himself in a bathroom and calling 911. It shows so much."

The assailants held the parents at gunpoint Tuesday while the boy, identified only as Carlos, and his 6-year-old sister hid in a locked bathroom. Carlos told a dispatcher breathlessly that there was "some guy who's going to kill my mom and dad" and begged authorities to "bring cops. A lot of them! ... And bring soldiers, too."

Although he sounds frightened, he keeps his composure and explains what is happening.

"Come really fast, please, please," he said. "They come, they ring the door and they have guns."

About 90 seconds into the call, his sister starts screaming as someone apparently breaks into the bathroom. The line stays connected, and a distraught-sounding dispatcher can be heard telling colleagues what she'd heard.

Deputies were on scene within three minutes, but the assailants had escaped in a green or gray two-door compact car, Jensen said.

The assailants left without taking anything once they realized the boy had called 911, Jensen said.

Detectives were investigating why the family was targeted.