Boy, home alone, copes with burglars

SALT LAKE CITY, Dec. 3 (UPI) -- An 11-year-old boy, home alone in Salt Lake City, calmly hid under his bed and called police when he heard burglars.

The boy, identified only as Michael, had stayed home from school Tuesday because he was feeling sick, the Deseret Morning News reported. Around 10:30 a.m., the doorbell rang, but he did not answer because he did not recognize the man outside.

When the bell rang again and he spotted several men outside, he dialed 911, completing the call when he saw them preparing to enter the house. He ran upstairs with the phone.

The dispatcher told him to get under his bed with the phone, saying that someone would be on the line with him.

His scariest moment was when a burglar kicked in the door to his bedroom, which he had locked behind him.

"I saw his feet," he said. "I don't think they knew I was in the house."

As he lay on the floor, he soon heard police officers announcing themselves outside. The burglars fled.

Both police and Michael's parents had high praise for his coolness.

"I'm just amazed at how clearly he thought and how quickly he reacted," said his father.