10-Year-Old Girl Calls 911, Escapes As Man Hiding In Closet Attacks Her Mother

A 10-year-old girl in Arizona kept her cool and dialed 911 when an intruder hiding inside a closet attacked her mother.

Yesenia Cano said she and her daughter had returned to their Mesa home Monday afternoon to find something unusual. The front door was not locked in the way she did earlier and, at first, she thought her husband has returned home from work.

"When I noticed that, I thought my husband must have returned from work because he's the other one with a house key. I walked in and didn't see him. I went to the kitchen and didn't see him, went into the room, the restroom, and nothing," she told Arizona's Family in Spanish.

Cano made her way into her son's bedroom and found it dark inside. When she switched on the light, the alleged intruder jumped out of a closet and ambushed her.

The suspect, identified as Reyes Vender, 42, held the mother by her neck in the bend of his elbow.

Cano began resisting, while Vender screamed that he was armed with a knife and gun. The suspect hit the mother in her stomach, ribs and legs, but Cano continued fighting back.

Her 10-year-old daughter called 911 and reported a stranger was holding her mother at gunpoint.

"Get out of the house before I shoot you," the suspect reportedly told the young girl.

The mother told her daughter to leave as the physical tussle continued.

"I fought him off to save my daughter's life," Cano told the outlet. "I don't know why he did this."

The daughter escaped and ran outside the house to get help. She was soon found waiting outside the house by a police officer. He entered the house and saw Vender inside. The officer held him at gunpoint, while Cano ran outside. Other officers reached the scene shortly, WLBT 3 On Your Side reported.

A brief struggle ensued before Vender was arrested. He admitted to cops he threatened to shoot the mother and daughter. It was unclear why he broke into the house or whether officers found any weapons.

The suspect was charged with aggravated assault, burglary, kidnapping and resisting arrest.

Although nobody sustained severe injuries, Cano said the family is traumatized by the events.

"I have a lot of anxiety, a lot of stress, I can't sleep well, and parts of my body hurt after the physical struggle with him," the mother told Arizona's Family. "I've seen my daughter a little stressed and very frightened. She had to sleep with the light on after the incident. But she's been very scared."