Girl Honored for Bravery During Burglary

Check out the recordings of the 911 calls below.

Annabelle Sanders might only be 11, but she’s already a hero.

The Coleman Middle School sixth-grader was honored Monday by Tampa Police Chief Eric Ward for bravery during a burglary at her home. Sanders and her 9-year-old brother were home alone when the Aug. 28 incident unfolded.

Thanks to her quick thinking, the two children were able to barricade themselves in a bedroom, the agency reported. Once inside, Annabelle called 911. She choked back tears while explaining the circumstances of the break-in to Tampa Police dispatcher Nicolas Ware.

“It sounds like someone is in the house,” Annabelle told Ware. “He’s coming. He’s coming.”

Ware helped the child stay calm while officers responded to the home. He stayed on the phone as officers and the children’s aunt arrived on the scene.

“Officers were able to quickly arrest the burglar thanks to Annabelle’s fast actions to hide with her brother and call 911,” the police department wrote on its YouTube page.

Ward and Ware both paid Annabelle a surprise visit at Coleman Middle School on Monday. Ward was there to recognize Annabelle’s courageous actions. Ware attended to meet the little girl he helped that day in August.

Tampa Police released Annabelle and her mother’s calls to 911 on Monday, as well.

Photo courtesy of the Tampa Police Department