Local homeschooler foils burglary attempt

By STEVE COLON

Enterprise Editor

Editor's note: All names in this story have been omitted at the request of the victim family.

The quick thinking and bravery of an area teenager helped thwart a burglary at his Fulton Township home.

Fulton County dispatchers received a call at 9:09 a.m. on Oct. 26 from a 12-year-old boy saying someone was breaking into his house.

"He reported somebody broke the glass while he was on 911 with us," said Chief Deputy Roy Miller.

Miller said the boy wanted to hide under the bed and did because the phone he was using was not cordless.

"He did a very good job," Miller said. "He called us and he hid."

Miller said a deputy was less than two miles from the home and responded to the call. When he arrived at the home, a vehicle was backed up to the garage and a subject was in the driveway. Deputy Smithmeyer apprehended the suspect, a 17-year-old juvenile from Lucas County.

While the juvenile was being secured, a second suspect opened a front window, smashed out the screen and escaped on foot. K-9 units were on the scene attempting to track the individual but were unsuccessful.

The second subject, Brett Bunting, 21, of Lucas County, turned himself in to deputies the next day, Miller said.

"We got cooperation from the juvenile so we knew who we were looking for," Miller said.

The juvenile is being held at the Juvenile Detention Center and Bunting is incarcerated at the Corrections Center of Northwest Ohio. Both are awaiting arraignment.

Bunting is being held on one count of burglary. The juvenile's charge was unavailable at press time.

The 911 call had the boy calling in and stating "we're being robbed." He described hearing a window breaking in the front of the house. The dispatcher asked him to stay on the line. At that, the boy said, "I'm on a corded phone. Can I hang up and go hide?"

When asked if the boy could hear anything else, there were muffled sounds and voices heard in the background. Pleading and whispering, the boy said he was going to hide under his parent's bed and the call ended.

Miller said the boy's quick thinking helped bring a resolution to this crime.

"It was textbook what we tell people to do," he said. "He was obviously scared, he's a 12 year old boy. He did the right thing by hiding and everything else fell into place.

"We just happened to have a (deputy) two miles away, but we always need people to call us. Even if it turns out to be nothing, we want to know. I give a lot of credit to that kid. He did a great job."

After the initial shock wore off, the boy's father realized just what his son had done.

"I was so proud of my son," he said. "We home school him so that is why he was home during the day."

After the burglary, the father described the day's events in an e-mail to a close friend. The subject line read "Brave homeschooler helps foil burglary attempt."

"Sad but true. This morning (my wife) left at 7 a.m. to visit her sick mother... Dad is at work. (Son) is home sleeping. Someone rings the doorbell... (Son) goes to our bathroom window and looks out, sees a car backed in the driveway. Two guys walking back and forth on our back deck, past the bathroom window. (He) then hears the kitchen door glass being broken. (He) goes to the old fashioned corded phone in our bedroom. (He) calls 911... He told 911 someone was coming up the stairs and he would hide under mom and dads bed, he had to go (didn't want the cord trailing behind him under the bed, smart boy).

"Burglar #1 walked through the house, while burglar #2 went back outside to the car. Burglar #1 walked into our bedroom past the bed (he) was hiding under, walked past the foot of the bed, walked past the other side of the bed into mom's closet... an officer was only 2 miles from our house. He was there lickity split...

"By the time Dad got home, many official vehicles where in the drive and out on the road. Dog patrols searching for burglar #1. Dad was a mess. Thankfully (my son) was fine. The sheriff said (he) was one brave young man with a good presence of mind. Yea for (my son)!

"So two broken glass doors (nothing else that I know of is missing). It's only $$. Thank God (he) was safe."

The 911 call released to the Enterprise. The boys name has been omitted at the request of the family.

Dispatcher: Fulton County 911.

Boy: Hello, We're getting robbed.

D; You're getting robbed?

B; Yeah.

D: (Read address to the boy), right?

B Yes.

D: Okay, what's going on?

B: Um, I just heard a window just broke.

D: Were at? The front of the house or the back?

B: Front of the house...

D; Who am I talking to?

B; Um, I'm 12

D: Okay who am I talking to

B: (States full name)

D: Pardon me?

B: What?

D: What's your name?

B: (States first name)

D: Okay, (boy's name) I want to keep you on the line. You there by yourself?

D: Okay, I want you to keep you on the line. You're there by yourself?

B: Yeah, I'm on a cord phone. Can I hang up and go hide?...

D: You stay right on the phone. You're on a cordless right? Keep the phone right were..

B: I'm on a cord phone

D: Okay, do you hear anything else in the house?

(Muffled noises and a voice in the background)

B: Can I hang up?

D: Where you going to be?

B: I'll hide under the bed, okay?

D: Which room?

B: My parents.

D: Okay

B: Please?

D: All right go ahead.

Call ends