I hated how unsafe I felt in my home. A few months prior, someone tried to break in. This thing was a never-ending cycle. I took a sip of my water and glanced towards the back window to see a masked pair of eyes staring back at me in the distance.
I didn’t question what I saw; I turned and sprinted upstairs, then locked my bedroom door behind me. I grabbed my phone and called 911.
“911, what’s your emergency?”
I looked around as if they would kick the door in at any moment. I rushed into the closet and sat in the darkest corner before answering in a frantic whisper.
“There’s someone in my backyard. I—I saw him near the tree line, just standing there. I don’t know if he’s gone.”
“Okay, ma’am. Stay on the line with me. Can you confirm your address?”
“Yes, it’s 2458 Rosemary Lane. Please—he was just standing there. I’m upstairs now in my closet. I locked my bedroom door.”
“You did the right thing. Officers are being dispatched to your location right now. Do you see him now? Can you safely look outside?” the dispatcher asked.
“No. I’m not going near the window again. I—he could still be out there.” I rushed out.
The line got quiet, so I figured maybe she was making an account of what I was telling her for the officers. I just hoped they would get here soon. I didn’t want this to be the moment I lost my life because of the career I chose.
“Understood. Do not approach the windows. Stay where you are. Keep all doors locked. Can you tell me what the man looked like? Any details?”
“It was dark—I couldn’t see his face. Just tall. Standing still. He didn’t move until I ran.” I responded.
“Okay. You’re doing great. Officers are en route—stay on the line with me until they arrive.” She replied reassuringly.
The next ten minutes were the longest of my life.
“Do you have a gate code we can relay to the officers, or is there a way to buzz them in?” she asked.
I rattled off the code to the gate, hoping that they found whoever was in my backyard. I said a silent prayer to God, promising if he got me out of this one, I would leave this all behind.
“Officers are at your front gate. They’re clearing the perimeter now. Stay put until they knock and identify themselves clearly.”
I waited a moment for her to tell me what to do next. Another ten minutes went by before she spoke again.
“They’re at your front door. Do you feel safe to go downstairs and let them in, or would you like them to enter with your permission?”
“Is it safe, for me to go down there?” I asked, hesitantly.
“Yes, ma’am. But, only if you’re up to it.” she reassured me.
I nodded as if she could see me and stood from the corner I had practically squeezed myself into. I walked out of my closet looking every which way as if I heard someone come in here. But you could never be too careful. I unlocked the door, then quickly rushed down the stairs.
I gripped my phone tightly as I looked around my entry way, expecting anything or anyone to jump out of the darkness. Blue and red lights flashed faintly through my glass door. Then?—
“LAPD. Ms. Amore, are you able to open the door?” The officer said.
I hesitantly reached out and wrapped my hand around the knob. I cracked the door open slowly, just enough to see two uniformed officers. One steps forward, his hand resting on his belt, the other scanning the perimeter behind him.
“Evening. You called about a possible trespasser?” The first officer asked.
“Yes. I—I saw someone in my backyard. He was just standing there. I ran upstairs and locked the door.”
The other officer stepped forward, looking over my shoulder into the house. “You alone in the house, ma’am?” he asked.
I nodded, pulling the door open wider, and stepped aside to allow them in. I needed to feel more secure, because at the moment, I wanted to pack my shit and run. I couldn’t keep living in a space of fear and always looking over my shoulder, waiting for the other shoe to drop.
“I’m going to look around back. That’s where you said you seen the perp, correct?” The smaller officer asked, so I nodded. While the first officer waited with me, the other left to go around back. I’d asked the officer standing with me to check the house to make sure no one had gotten inside.By the time the other officer came around, Officer Josh Matthews and I were alreadydiscussing my other cases—including the ones we tried to keep from becoming public knowledge.