Home Alone Hero: Boy, 12, Saves the Day When Man Allegedly Breaks into House By Nicole Acosta

A 12-year-old Long Island boy’s quick thinking saved the day when he hid from a burglar and called police while home alone.

After hearing glass break in the kitchen and someone moving through his Medford, N.Y., home on Tuesday, Dec. 23, the boy jumped out of his bedroom window, according to a press release from the Suffolk County Police Department.

When he noticed that an unknown man was inside, the boy hid in the backyard and called police around 12:50 p.m., they said. Officers arrived within three minutes and found the alleged burglar, later identified as 53-year-old Christian Garcia, inside the home. Authorities claim Garcia broke a window to get inside.

Police said the child was not injured. Reflecting on the frightening moment, Tristen Taylor told KCRG-TV, “I said to myself, ‘I have to get out of the house.'”

The boy’s grandmother, Timothea Taylor, called him the family’s “little hero.”

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“We were very proud that he was able to keep his composure and call the police as quickly as he did,” she told the news outlet.

Police said Garcia was charged with third-degree burglary and possession of burglars tools. It’s unclear if he has entered a plea or retained an attorney to speak on his behalf.