FORT BEND COUNTY, Texas – Kenneth Noel got one of the worst calls a parent can receive when his daughter phoned to tell him burglars were inside their Mission Bend home. She and her two siblings were forced to hide and then fight to stay safe inside a closet.
"As they were fighting the intruders in the closet to get in," said Noel, "they were using their body strength to barricade and not let them in."
The 16-year-old was able to call 911, which dispatched a Fort Bend County deputy to the home within minutes. The Sheriff's Office says the deputy detained two of the suspects, Shalinda Montgomery and Christine Thomas, in the front yard as they were putting stolen items in their car. The other suspect, Bernard Renfro, took off and ran.
The Sheriff's Office used their helicopter unit, plus the assistance of a K-9 deputy named Rudy to track down Renfro. They said Renfro was just a few blocks away hiding in a trash can outside the home of an off-duty law officer.
"I'm very happy that my children are safe," said Noel. "That's the most important thing. Items can be replaced but I can't replace my children."
Deputies said when they arrested Renfro he was wearing a stolen Mickey Mouse smartwatch that he had taken from the house. He, Montgomery, and Thomas are facing a charge of burglary of a habitation.