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Female Suspect Hides In Riverside Homeowner's Doghouse

RIVERSIDE (CBSLA) — Sarah Stephens was surprised by what she saw when she checked her security cameras to figure out what had caused a crash in her side yard.

"I saw a girl hop over our fence, try to open our sliding glass door," said Stephens. "She couldn't get in there, so she ran inside the doghouse and hid there."

Stephens didn't know who the woman was but she had been hearing sirens on the street behind her, so she had a feeling the woman was trying to get away from police. She called 911, then woke up her husband.

"Got our shotgun out. Got the baseball bat. If she somehow managed to come into our house, we were ready," said Stephens.

Stephens thought about letting her three dogs out in the yard, to chase the woman out of their house.

"We've got little dogs, but they're fierce and mighty," said Stephens.

But since she didn't know if the woman was armed, she waited for police to bring their K9. It turns out the woman had been a passenger in a stolen car that had been involved in a pursuit. Police tracked down the driver, 18-year-old Angelo Calamandrei, hiding in another neighbor's yard.

Stephens is relieved they were both caught, but can't stop thinking about what could have happened if she hadn't heard the noises and checked her cameras.

"I'm thankful I was awake because if I was asleep, I would have never known that she was over here," said Stephens.

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