88-Year-Old Home Invasion Victim Thankful for Police

Dallas Police officers won praise Thursday from the 88-year-old victim of a home invasion for quickly capturing the suspect.

Charlene Morris said the man smashed through her back door around 9 a.m. Wednesday at the Lake Highlands home where she has lived since 1962.

"The guy jerked me out of the bed with this arm and said sit on the bed. Sit on the bed and don't move," she said.

Morris said the man took valuables from her home, was gone within 10 minutes and she immediately called 911 when he left.

Officers Michael Waldroup and John Green were the first to arrive.

"When we got over here, she was real shaken up," Waldroup said.

The officers calmed her down and began gathering evidence.

Waldroup said they were determined not to allow such a brazen crime against a senior citizen to go unchecked.

"Not in this city for sure," he said.

They found solid clues about the suspect.

"We were able to find a neighbor who had video of the suspect vehicle. So, we were able to broadcast that out," Green said.

Other officers joined the manhunt and crime scene technicians gathered fingerprints that matched a suspect who was already wanted for parole violation on a prior aggravated robbery.

That suspect was found and arrested within 6 hours.

"I think they took care of me," Morris said. "I'm not afraid."

But the victim said she had trouble sleeping Wednesday night.

Officers Waldroup and Green returned Thursday to find Morris had been unable to get the back door repaired Wednesday.

"My granddaughter had spent half of yesterday trying to find somebody that could get out, and it was going to be a week before they could," she said.

So the police officers recruited Contractor David Wells, who grew up in the Lake Highlands neighborhood.

He repaired the back door with much more secure hardware to guard against another break in.

"It's our duty to help our neighbors and make her feel good, especially after the situation that's happened the last 24 hours," Wells said.

Charlene Morris said she is very grateful for the support.

"I'm absolutely delighted," Morris said.

Officer Waldroup said catching bad guys and helping residents is the reason officers join the police force.

"I'm glad we were here to help out," he said.

And the officers plan to be watchful to see that no one else bothers Morris.