Wednesday, November 14th 2012, 10:08 pm
A Tulsa family's quick thinking during an attempted home invasion was "textbook," according to police who arrested the suspect.
Police say you should always have a plan in case something like this happens to you. The family in this story got out of the house, but what if you can't?
Wesley Allee said he can't believe he had to use his escape plan.
"Kind of a plan I had in mind, I've always had it in mind if we were ever in a home invasion. If they're coming in the front, we're going out the back. We're going to leave, we have an exit plan," Allee said.
Allee's family woke up to 19-year-old Tyler Sweeden trying to kick in their front door.
11/14/2012 Related Story: Teen Arrested For Trying To Kick His Way Into South Tulsa Homes
"When he started banging on the door, the banging thing - and actually really loud - I thought to myself, ‘This could be a home invasion. It's time to go,'" Allee said.
That's when he broke out a back window, helped his wife and kids over the fence in the backyard, and got everyone to safety.
So how did he do?
"Perfectly, he saved his family," said Tulsa Police Sergeant Brandon Watkins.
Watkins said, in most of Tulsa's 15,000 home burglaries a year, the burglar thinks no is home and quickly leaves if they hear something, so make a lot of noise.
"First thing you try and do is get the heck out of there, as quickly as you possibly can, by any route necessary," Watkins said.
The family didn't feel safe going out the back door, because it was in plain sight of the front door. To avoid Sweeden, they went for a back room window.
If you *can't* get out: "You try to get to a back bedroom or bathroom and barricade yourself there inside," Watkins said.
He said, grab your phone, call 911 and if you're not a gun owner, anything can become a weapon.
"Whether it's something as small as a pen or a pencil or your high school trophy," Watkins said.
Allee said he's just glad he thought about what he'd do before he had to do it.
"Most of the time, people don't have a plan and they probably don't need one most of the time, but it's better to be prepared and have a plan and not need it than need a plan and not have one," Watkins said.
Police arrested Tyler Sweeden after officers found him wrestling with another homeowner, after breaking into her house.
Sweeden was booked on attempted first degree burglary and first degree burglary.
November 14th, 2012
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