'HEY!' Woman spots break-in, gets good look at burglary suspect
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CLACKAMAS COUNTY, Ore. - Juliann Peterson, 19, had already called police, but she wanted to see what the man who had just burglarized her home looked like, so she went outside the next-door neighbor's house where she was babysitting and got his attention.
"I don't know what to do. I can't go over and stop him and so I figured I would just call the police," she said.
Time went by and the suspect emerged from her Clackamas County home on Monday afteroon before police arrived. "I said, 'I have to do something,' so I walked out with the baby and I said 'HEY!'" Peterson recalled.
That did the trick. 
The suspect, who she said had a backpack, was dressed all in black and had taken his sunglasses off, turned to look at Peterson. "He turned around really quick and I got a good look at his face," she said.
Peterson said she had called police more than five minutes before after seeing the man talk on his cell phone then test the door handle on her Southwest Portland house. He then make his way inside.
The burglarly happened at Peterson's house in a pocked of Clackamas County near Lake Oswego and I-5.
After she got his attention, "he just bolted down the street south with the backpack," she said.
Peterson said their laptop computer, an iPad, jewelry, medications and other items were in that backpack. She said the suspect got away with about $3,000 in goods from her home, which was unoccupied while she was babysitting next door.
After police arrived, Peterson helped create a sketch of the suspect (above). The investigation into the burglary is ongoing.
This story came to us through an email tip. If you have a story to share, contact KATU News at newstips@katu.com.
Just glad she & the child were not harmed, hmmm, 2nd Amendment?
Wait a minute...she walked out and confronted this moron while holding a baby?!?!??? WHAT??!?? And if he had a gun and used it on them, we'd be reading a different story and wondering how this could have happened. I'd hardly call her a "hero" or doing something noble...she took a baby into what could have been a bad situation. I think she needs her head examined and I'd be truly looking for a new babysitter!
That's not really cool to say it like that though. I mean she's 19. Not really experienced in life and still really naieve. She needs to be educated sure, but not ripped apart for being young and naieve. Come on brother...try to help instead of being harsh like that. Be a mentor, not a basher. You'll feel better when you do. ;)Â
But yes, I do agree, it wasn't the smartest of moves. My question is, in todays day and age, where was the smartphone to record the guy? I mean everyone has one but me it seems. Too bad they couldn't get him on video. Nice response by Clackamas of a Robbery in progress. She should of said she had a gun. I wonder how fast they would of responded then. :)
Even with SpellCheck, I can't see how the writers missed this: Â "Â The burglarly happened at Peterson's house in a pocked of Clackamas County near Lake Oswego and I-5". Â What's a 'burglarly' and a 'pocked' (other than an area where burglars go)? Â BTW, it's OK to be a spelling nazi if it's an error the 'journalist' makes. Â =)
Hey Moe!
That melonhead "bolted" down the road? On foot? WOW!
@randola I think they meant waddled off.
If she had a cell phone a picture would have been better.
The details of this story just seem a bit sketchy to me.Â
He tried the door & just walked in.. How the heck did he know nobody was home? How did he know there wasn't some big dude ready to kick the crap outta' his chubby rear? Or a homeowner with a shotgun inside?
She just watched as he filled his backpack with her "laptop, Ipad, jewelry and meds"? Â Sorry but if I saw somebody walk in my front door you can bet I would run across the street and tell them to GTH out! MINUS the baby..
This doesn't add up for me..
@cwpholderÂ
are you retarded? seriously, my dog's #2 end has better sense.....
Not everyone is a go-hard blow-hard in here. She is a 19 yr old woman watching a baby next door. She probably doesn't have a weapon and probably isn't trained to use one if she had one. She undoubtedly did the exact thing she is supposed to do in her situation except the confrontation. Which happened without a weapon, pretty ballsy, but you gun wimps couldn't say the same. Every second is not a Dirty Harry movie. Come back to Afghanistan with me, you will #2 yourself, like I did the first day, you are pathetic.@Bio Sphere @cwpholder Let's see ",, am I retarded", "I am pathetic"
What is wrong with YOU?
I POLITELY expressed my opinion of this story and what I would do if I saw somebody walk into MY HOUSE and you respond with unwarranted & completely out-of-line insults commonly used by middle school children.
Gimme a freaking break. I wont even bother with replying to the rest of your post, it isn't worth my time.
GROW UP!Â
@cwpholder Not to mention that in this neck of the woods it takes police less time to arrive than for a burglar to commit the burglary. Also getting out WITH the baby to face the bad guy seems dumb.
He also stole a can of Crisco, a pound of butter, and a gallon of gravy.
@Tedomatic Thanks for that tidbit of information.  Now I'm pretty sure I know who the guy is.  =)
@Tedomatic HA!!
Why didn't she just shoot him?
@Oregon7812 Likely because her gun was in her house with the guy and not on her body...but we know you really don't think shooting someone is ever OK and are just trying to troll for comments from those who believe defending your life and your property from scumbags is ok.
he doesnt appear to be hot and fit like i am and i dont think he could run very far. me?  i can run and run and run....well, jog, but walking is for wimps and losers!
@Pers Retiree Not quiet, when people are guilty they do a "Penguin Walk"
@lee986321 SPELLING COP ALERT. ITS QUITE!   SIRENS WAILING
Sure they are...
@Pers Retiree @lee986321 bah humbug, If the journalist cannot use propper english then whyshould i spell correctly...Note all speling errors are intentional.
Dear Lord I thought that "Bowel Cuts " were a thing of the past. This guy, being that pudgy surely can't out wit the police even out run them.. Oh my.
A "bowel" cut would look a lot messier than this.
@Oregon7812 HA!!
"Peterson said she had called police more than five minutes before after seeing"
Jeez KATU this makes no sense. I'd get rid of the word before unless somehow you can be at two points in time in the same second!
Isn't that Moe?
@anonymous guy Soitenly!
Dumb, Dumb, Dumb, Dumb, DUMB!! (Like the old tums commercial) And then to go on the news and talk about it. Hope that guy doesn't come back to knock her out. Sheesh!
@Daizysky Hopefully someone knocks this fool out first.Â
Based on numerous sketches police have provided the media over the last several months, they need a new sketch artist. Â This one looks like a cartoon character.....perhaps the perp does, too, but this is pretty lame.Â
@Sundowner I had similar thoughts ...Â
@Sundowner I was thinking Three Stooges
I always lock my door when I leave. If I confront a burglar it won't be with my bare hands. Crime should be a dangerous occupation with real blood spilled-the crimnals.Â
"I said, 'IÂ have to do something,' so I walked out with the baby...."
No, no, no. I'm sure she's a sweetheart and a perfectly decent person, but, there are bad ideas, and that's one of 'em.
It sounds like the babysitter just reacted to the situation, like most of us would. Â But then, most of us aren't perfect like some on this forum think they are.
@Shadow Nobody's perfect.
But what if he wasn't a total chickens--t and had come after her with a knife or a bat or a gun, in order to remove witnesses. How do you know the guy isn't also a VIOLENT criminal?Â
I'm not going to call her names or anything. Her heart was in the right place. It was just a very bad idea to take a baby out to look at somebody in the process of committing home invasion.Â
She took the baby outside with her to yell at him? I hope she realizes now that was a poor decision.
," so I walked out with the baby and I said "HEY!""
You are fired!!! That's the last time YOU would ever babysit my child. You see a burglar in progress, don't know if he has a gun, then grab MY child, and approach the man. How dare you young lady. You want to do something so reckless as that, the least you could have done is make sure the baby was in a safe place, THEN by all means, go take your life, and put it in jepordy, but leave someones child out of it.
@myopinion240Â That was my first thought too - it's like she was thinking "he won't hurt me if I'm holding a baby."
OK, so this is where the victim or someone who is related to the victim signs on and calls people heartless or what have you for making light of the situation. However, being as I was the victim in this case, and this lame-o stole my stuff, I gotta say - these are some great posts! Thank you for helping to brighten what has been a real downer of an experience. Well done y'all!
Aaaahhhhhhh - And the Negative Nelly's have arrived! To the hater's hatin - the police commended her on her efforts and said she did everything exactly correct in this case. Neither she nor the child were in danger.
@Beaver Wayne I thought you said you were the victim? Are you speaking of yourself in the third-person?
@ted - That's some funny stuff right there! We didn't notice anything of consequence missing from the fridge. The rotten b_stard did steal my cologne though. Perhaps we should be looking for a scuzzy dude that smells good. He can't hide from us!
@Beaver Wayne @Playanekes Have you checked your fridge? I'm betting he emptied it.
Â
@Playanekes @Beaver Wayne I would have LOVED to see the hilarity in progress. Dang it, I always seem to miss the good shows.
@Beaver Wayne @Playanekes Fair enough. Good luck getting your stuff back. I have a bit of a perspective here; in December my daughter had a friend over and I was looking out the back window and saw some bug-eyed older dude jump over the neighbor's fence into our yard like he was being chased by Aliens or something, running around trying to find an escape. He went over our fence and considered going into our elderly neighbor's house...she's a victim of home invasion and gang rape and that would have probably frightened her to death.
I had 911 on the phone trying to figure out if I should abandon the two kids and go out to thwack the guy with a shovel or something (I have a .45 but wouldn't have used it unless he had a weapon or I was cornered.)Â Â Pretty intense few minutes.
Fortunately, the guy chose a different house, hopped the fence, and we discovered that the new guy on the block is a MCSD K-9 deputy who had his dog in the backyard. Hilarity ensued. I wish you guys had been as lucky.
As a parent I would have a conniption fit if somebody took my baby out to look at a home-invader, but, I certainly wouldn't fire an otherwise good sitter over it. Best of luck to you all.
@Playanekes @Beaver Wayne Quite possibly, I guess. I live at the home that was burglarized, with Juliann and her sister. Not a fun experience. It's been stressful. Since we had a sketch of the guy, we figured we'd broadcast it to see if we could get this creep of the streets. Nobody should have their house ransacked and goods stolen. This dude needs to go to jail.
I would put out the APB at all donut shops and Kentucky Fried Chicken stores.
This may just be a coincidence, but, Larry and Curly broke into my house about the same time.