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PD: Woman uses knife to protect child and ward off South Phoenix burglar

Charles Johnson.jpg
Posted at 1:46 PM, Mar 26, 2019
and last updated 2019-03-26 23:46:58-04

PHOENIX — A Phoenix woman used a kitchen knife to protect her child against a home intruder, according to court paperwork.

Phoenix police report that early Saturday morning a woman called police as she and her 7-year-old child were hiding from a burglar.

The woman told ABC15, after she heard the doorbell, "I went to go look I didn’t see anybody. I laid in bed and looked out the window and I saw somebody walk by and I just had a bad feeling and then a couple of minutes later I just heard a big smash in the back window. And I went and I grabbed my daughter she was sleeping in the living room in a tent and I grabbed her really fast and we went to my bedroom and I locked the door and called 911."

The intruder, later identified as 29-year-old Charles Johnson, allegedly broke the window to the child’s bedroom and entered the home.

Fortunately, the child was sleeping in the living room at the time. The mother armed herself with a kitchen knife, took the child and hid in her bedroom closet.

The victim later told police that she could hear Johnson rummaging through her home.

Court documents say Johnson panicked when police arrived and broke the bedroom door and confronted the mother.

"He just kicked in my door where me and my daughter were. I had the knife with me, and my daughter was behind me. She was crying and screaming. He was trying to tell us he didn't want to hurt us. "

The mother pointed the knife at Johnson demanding that he leave them alone.

"Then he got on his knees and he tried crawling towards me and tried to grab my leg, and I just swung the knife at him and told him don’t touch me, and then I told him please just get out."

Police rammed the front door and arrested Johnson.

Johnson later reportedly admitted to police that he entered the home to steal money and placed the woman's purse inside the child's backpack.

Johnson was arrested for burglary, criminal imprisonment, and criminal damage.