A mother in Chicago, who urgently called 911 during a frightening home invasion, was left to fend for herself for hours before police arrived.
Chicago woman on her own during home invasion
Shockingly, rather than tell her that help was on the way, dispatchers advised the woman to contact her local alderman to advocate for increased police funding.
Michelle, who refused to share her last name in fear for her own safety, called 911 six times to request police assistance after confronting two masked intruders during a home invasion.
Finally, a beleaguered supervisor informed her that severe budget cuts had drastically reduced their staffing levels, and that she would have to wait.
“A gentleman got on and said sorry to say we have no units to send you … then there was an awkward pause,” she told NBC Chicago.
“He also recommended I call my alderman and I said why, and he said encourage him to hire more police.”
“The dispatcher also asked me if I would consider defending myself … if I had a weapon or considered getting one,” she noted.
Michelle said that the intruders entered through her open back door in broad daylight after she let her dog into the yard.
They were seen on surveillance footage “moseying” up to her home after scaling a 6-foot fence, but quickly fled upon encountering her inside of the residence.
“I screamed: ‘I am calling the police’ and they bolted,” Michelle explained.
She and a neighbor attempted to chase the men before she made the first call to 911.
A dispatcher assured the terrified mother that police were coming and instructed her to wait outside for them to arrive, but they never did.
After an hour and a half and six calls to 911, she was able to get a dispatch supervisor on the line, who revealed the cops’ glacier-like pace was due to the city’s inadequate police funding.
It took another two and a half hours before officers finally arrived to her home.
“The officers who did show up cared and were apologetic it took so long to get them there,” Michelle told the outlet.
“I don’t think it is the police department’s fault they are overstaffed and overwhelmed,” she added.
Chicago Police told NBC Chicago that the delay might have been related to the 911 priority list — since there was no immediate threat to Michelle’s life, she had to wait as officers attended to more urgent issues in the area.
Despite her frustration, Michelle followed the dispatch supervisor’s advice and contacted her alderman’s office.
“It is awful that our neighbor experienced this, everyone deserves to feel safe in their home,” 1st Ward Alderman Daniel La Spata remarked about the incident.
“My staff alerted me to the issue as soon as they heard, and I am in contact with 12th District Police leadership,” he added.
“I will continue to support any resources our districts request, and I will continue to work with the City on a proposed satellite location within West Town for the 12th District police.”
Missouri mom fights of villain in home invasion
In a separate incident that proves timely police response saves lives, a Missouri mother of two fought off a home invader who had attempted to sexually assault her while her daughters were upstairs.
Sarah Bommarito described how, after her children finished playing outside, a man followed them into her home last week.
“’Hey, I think you’re in the wrong house.’ That’s what I said to him,” Bommarito told WDAF. “I said, ‘I think you’re in the wrong house.'”
The intruder refused to leave, but Bommarito managed to get him out, lock the door, and call 911. Yet, he kept coming.
“He went to my front door and incessantly rang the bell, just over and over and over again, just pounding,” Bommarito recalled to WDAF.
The suspect, Khalil Cooper, then broke through another door and began sexually assaulting Bommarito while her daughters were playing with a friend upstairs.
Bommarito was still on the phone with a 911 dispatcher, and the entire attack was caught on audio tape.
Bommarito managed to fight off her attacker until the first officer arrived at her home and wrestled him off of her.
“The outcome of what happened to me is so different because of the officer that came in that side door and didn’t wait; he didn’t wait for backup,” Bommarito told WDAF.
“The 911 person, the dispatcher … said, ‘You’re safe now, Sarah. They have him in handcuffs,'” she noted.
Cooper was charged with three felonies, two counts of sodomy or attempted sodomy and burglary. He has been held in custody on no bond.
