A brave teenage girl scared off a home intruder with kitchen knives and protected her younger sister.
A burglar broke into into the 14-year-old's home while she was alone with her 12-year-old sibling.
Avery Cormier awoke to the sound of a man breaking in at around 7.20am on Friday morning, according to police.
Joseph Ridge, 58, of Bourne, was trying to steal from the property in Massachusetts, New England, when the teenager seized two steak knives and approached him, reports WCVB.
The suspect, who is known to cops and is a “career criminal”, was on bail at the time and ran from the scene, police said.
Avery followed the intruder outside and took video footage of his 2010 Chevy Silverado as he made off.
“I got him out of the house. I scared him. I took a video of his truck leaving so I have his license plate number,” the teenager told a call handler after she called 911 .
The terrified girl was clearly upset by her ordeal and her emergency call is heard through sobs in an audio clip released by police.
Avery asks if she can hang up “so she can call her parents really fast,” but the call handler convinces her to stay on the call.
“I’m just really scared,” she tells the operator.
Ridge was later arrested by Massachusetts State Police with help of the 14-year-old.
He was brought in to Middleborough Police Department and charged with aggravated breaking and entering, trespassing and disorderly conduct, according to police.
Police praised Avery's actions which they described as 'courageous'.
They also said it was a terrifying experience and her bravery had helped confirm the identity of the intruder who is thought to be the responsible for the burglary.
In a statement Middleborough Chief Joseph Perkins said: “I would like to commend the courageous actions of this girl.
"Even in the midst of an extremely scary event, her bravery assisted us in identifying the man believed to be responsible for breaking into her home.”
