10-year-old Wash. girl foils home burglary by three men
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CAMAS, Wash. -- Paityn Mock has nerves of steel.
The 10-year-old Camas girl was home alone when three burglars broke in earlier this week. However, she didn't panic. Instead, she was able to stay hidden and called police.
Mock said she didn't answer the door Tuesday afternoon because she saw there was a stranger outside. Instead, she hid in the pantry and watched as the burglars broke in through a downstairs window.
Mock called 911 and snuck outside to hide behind a tree in the yard and waited for police.
"I was pretty scared because I was like, 'I'm not going to get out of here, but I need to get out of here as quick as I can,'" she said.
Police arrived at the house about 10 minutes later and arrested one of the men, who is now cooperating with them. The other two men got away, but police are continuing their investigation.
After the incident, police even gave her a new nickname.
"They call me the Home Alone girl," she said, a reference to the 1990 hit movie that starred Macaulay Culkin.
Mock is simply glad she kept her cool and remembered to follow her mom's advice when a stranger approaches the house.
WHY was a 10-year old CHILD left at home alone in the first place? I was 12 before I could stay home alone.
Why announce her name and not the âintruderâsâ name?
IT TOOK THE POLICE 10 FRIGGIN MINUTES TO GET TO THE HOUSE!? ARE U KIDDING!? ... (and i thought the antelope valley was bad... sheeshhhh) .... UNBELIEVABLE!Â
 @anonymous Rural communities have two problems effecting response: the size of the area to cover and the lack of officers to do it. A city has a much greater concentration of police officers for any given area and much less distance to go.
Corrupt FBI and DEA use no-knock warrants to enter suspect's homes while they are away and steal items.
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They mostly steal watches, jewelry and less frequently expensive prescription drugs by returning a second time and swapping them with fakes.
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Some of them where stealing wear item parts off of cars, swapping them with old worn out parts from their personal autos and in some cases leaving the auto in a dangerous state.They can remove a car from your garage apparently whenever they feel like it and steal ware item parts off it.Â
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The Department of Justice has a problem with employee theft.
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Why not put her in charge of the Department of Justice? Â Less stealing.
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I'm glad she kept her cool and remembered what to do. Paityn was obviously taught very well!
I bet the guy in custody is singing like a canary about his two "friends".  They might as well turn themselves in right now.
They'll be out in no time. Hope they won't seek her out for revenge.
 @Salix Totally same feeling here.
Obviously that was the right advice. Great job!
so we now know the girls name, what she looks like, at least approx. where she lives and that she's home alone during the day. good grief do ya think this makes her a target for others or perhaps for the 2 that got away. while she did manage to get out and call for help - i agree with the others that not answering the door or phone is not the correct thing to do. we see what happened here they thought no one was home so they broke in. say you are not interested - go away and i am calling 911 and do so. glad she's ok. Â
 @justme Not answering the door or phone is not the correct thing to do? If you re-read the story there is a line where "she said she didn't answer the door  Tuesday Afternoon because she SAW there was a STRANGER OUTSIDE". She did exactly the right thing by not answering the door. Her mom taught her well. And most phones today have caller ID. Don't recognize the number? Don't answer it! Most, if not all kids, are taught this by the parents too. Obviously you were not taught properly.  It's never a good idea to answer a door to a complete stranger or answer a phone to an unrecognizable number. You'll be inviting all sorts of criminals in your home by doing that.  However, I do agree that the girls name, what she looks like, approx. of where she lives and when she's home alone should not have posted in the story in the first place. Not smart there.Â
@nikeyia6 @justme i should have used the term "responded" to a knock at the door i did NOT mean OPEN the door. we are reading about this happening a lot more lately - casing the house - if no one "responds" with a "who's there" they know someone is home and won't likely break in. when they think the house is empty they break in as they did in this situation and have with many others including elderly. she already saw it was a stranger - i did not say open the door. i have read in other stories that law enforcement suggests you acknowledge the knock - who's there ? what do you want? I don't know you or i am not interested. if they don't walk away dial 911. i will stick to that suggestion as it makes more sense than remaining in a house while someone breaks in thinking no one is home. she was lucky she had a place to hide and could sneak out and wasn't caught  - many in the news lately have not been that lucky.Â
glad she's safe. but, why did it take the police 10 minutes to arrive?Â
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The M.O. is to knock on the door, if no one answers, break in If you leave your old-enough child home alone, they should reply when someone knocks on the door, but of course don't open it.  Have them say they  aren't interested. They can even announce they are calling 911 and do so. To act like no one is home is the wrong strategy anymore.Â
 @justsaying Perhaps if they're going to leave a ten year old girl home alone they should invest in an alarm system.
 @justsaying What if they have been casing the house, and they know she is in there alone? She did the exact correct thing. She is a very smart young lady!
@citizen kane @justsaying Or , yell LOUDLY, *Dad, someone is at the door*.
If they knew that she was home they might have just left.
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It's much easier to go find a different empty house than to deal with the consequences of confronting a person or, in this case, the police.
Wooo  Hooooo!!!!  Go Paityn!!!!  Go Paityn!!!! Â
You Go Home Alone Girl, you are one brave responsible young lady. Its wonderful seeing how trusting and mature you are to be left home at 10.Â
Home alone at 10???? My kids were 15 before I left them alone for 5 minutes! There are creeps, freaks, sickos and child molesters out there!
 @It_is_only_me I agree, ten is too young to be left home alone.  And get an alarm system, parents! Â
 @It_is_only_me Are you letting your kids use forks and knives without adult supervision yet?
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 @It_is_only_me That is why you EDUCATE them on being home alone. There are going to be sickos, freaks and molesters where you least expect. Like on the way to school, waiting at the bus stop, recess for those who still have it, going to the mall (yep still there was weirdos when I was 16 and going to the mall). But to each their own I guess. I love my kids but I refuse to hover over them like they are an invalid or something.Â
Good head on your shoulders, Miss. And mom gets credit for coaching survival skills. I wish our today world wasn't like this, but it is.
This also happened today in the south and rather than hiding the girl let the lead fly kill one of the intruders. Glad this girl is safe. Here in Washington they will be back on the steets before the sun comes back up. In the south there is one less out there and they know they need to stay away from that house because even the girls will put you down....
na na na na na naa ... very cool!
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nice story to share with your inmates pal.
Good for you, Paityn! And good for her parents for teaching her what to do in a situation like this.
Way to go! Maintained, escaped and called in the cavalry. Super good job.
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And what's the deal with all these scumbags breaking into houses? I'm pro-scumbortion. Let's start weeding them out!
Those guys will have to go to jail with everybody knowing that they were beat by a 10 year old girl. They need to consider a new career path.
Very cool head on her. Congratulations, Home Alone Girl.
Home alone at ten? Maybe in the 50s but I would never leave my child home alone at ten not even for half an hour. Glad she is ok, how scary!!!!
 @alildifferent Would you leave your kid at the mall at 16? What about all the weirdos there? Oh heck let's just lock em in a cage so they can never experience the world, ever.
 @PrairieDawn  @alildifferent She's 10, not 16, and alone, not in public.  Strange comparison.
Nice job, Paityn! You are one, brave girl :)
That little girl is so lucky!!!!!!  Quick thinking by a 10 year old.Â
You go angel face!!
Good work, Paityn!