Sarasota, FL-- Panicked woman wards off home invader with her .38 caliber, then apologizes to 911 operator.
The burglar broke a glass door in the back of the woman's home and tried to get in when the woman shot at him. She can be heard crying as she speaks with the 911 operator. She tells him, "I live by myself. I live alone. I'm an older woman."
In her upscale but secluded Sarasota neighborhood, it's easy to understand why it's called "Hidden Oaks." Large trees and lush landscaping hide some of the homes from the street. But in one of those homes, no doubt, a grandmother's sense of security is shattered.
In a panicked tone, she tells the operator, "Somebody came to my door and I couldn't answer it because I was getting dressed, and a couple of minutes later I heard the sound of glass breaking in my breakfast room and I grabbed my gun and he started to step in. He had a bandana up over his face. I couldn't tell if he was carrying. He may have been armed. I just was so frightened at the noise."
She says she was so frightened at the sight of a man breaking into her house she got a gun and fired at him. She says, "It's a .38 caliber. I've got it laying on my counter here. I've never used it except for target practice."
The woman was so distraught over what happened that she sounds even apologetic, telling the 911 operator she now has bullet holes in her curtain. She tells him, "I fired two."
She's sobbing during the recorded phone call when she adds, "I'm so sorry. I would never hurt someone, but I was fearful of my life."
Neighbors like Hussein Abtidon are stunned. He says his brother and several other neighbors heard the gunshots and they heard the suspect leave quickly.
Abtidon says, "After a while, the car took off squealing. It was a shock to us."
Monday, acting on a tip, detectives found 26-year-old Michael Sterlace at Sarasota Memorial Hospital, where he was seeking treatment for a gunshot wound to his arm.