A family in Denver recently experienced a scenario that would send chills down any parent’s spine: waking up in the dead of night to discover an intruder making their way toward their children’s bedrooms.
Kevin and Sarah Root recounted this harrowing experience during an interview with Fox News Digital. The couple explained that the unsettling incident took place at approximately 3:30 a.m. in their southwest Denver residence.
“We heard footsteps ascending the stairs leading to our room,” Kevin vividly remembered. “We exchanged looks and realized, ‘Someone is in our house.’ That’s when it hit us — this wasn’t a dream; it was our reality.”
As panic set in, Sarah swiftly reached for her phone to dial 911, while Kevin ventured into the hallway to confront the unknown.
According to the Roots, the intruder was a repeat offender who forced his way through their front door in the middle of the night, as reported by FOX 31 Denver.
“The terror of what might happen when my husband opened that door is what haunts me the most,” Sarah shared. “Your instincts take over, and the fear of the unknown becomes overwhelmingly frightening.”
Kevin said he shouted several times for the man to leave, but the intruder kept walking toward the rooms where their boys were sleeping.
“When he paused at the top of the stairs, I whipped open the door, jumped out and pushed him as hard as I could down the stairs,” he said.
Kevin and Sarah Root described jumping into action when a repeat offender broke into their home in the early morning hours. (Kevin Root)
Police arrived minutes later and took the suspect into custody. Sarah said it felt like forever as she stayed on the phone with dispatchers, watching the front door and trying to keep her son calm.
“I just remember repeating over and over, ‘Are you sure the cops are on their way?’” she said. “Three minutes feels like three hours. When I saw the flashing police lights on the wall, it was instant relief — we were OK, we were going to be OK. But once the adrenaline wore off, tears came and fear crept in big time.”
The man, identified as 36-year-old Charley Cooley, faces a felony second-degree robbery charge — his second robbery arrest this year, according to records obtained by FOX 31 Denver.
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Police responded soon after the 911 call and took Cooley into custody.
No one was physically hurt, but Sarah said the emotional recovery has been slow.
“It’s been a process. My sleep has been pretty difficult, and I still replay the moment when I look at our bedroom door,” she said. “It feels like a loss, the loss of feeling safe in our home.”
Court records reviewed by FOX 31 Denver show Cooley was previously arrested in September for another felony robbery allegedly committed earlier this year. The Roots said they were stunned to learn he was released within days.
“We found out later about his criminal background, and that stirred up a whole new layer of emotion,” Sarah said. “It feels unsettling that something so invasive and violating is permitted to happen and the person is back on the street.”
According to the Denver District Attorney’s Office, the judge set bond at $5,000 property/surety or $500 cash, and Cooley posted $500 cash on Nov. 11, FOX 31 Denver reported.
“Multiple offenses and he’s been released both times,” Kevin said. “The reality is he’s back out and has a history of doing this.”
Sarah and Kevin Root describe their terrifying experience after encountering a repeat burglary offender inside their home while their four children slept. (Fox News Digital)
Kevin said he’s trying to focus on gratitude rather than anger.
“I hope he’s able to get the help he needs,” he said. “I don’t think he wants to be doing this with his life — maybe this is a rock-bottom moment for him.”
Despite the trauma, Sarah said she’s grateful for how things ended.
“We’re so thankful no one was hurt, including him,” she said. “We hope there’s justice and that he’s placed somewhere that prevents him from hurting anyone else.”
The couple said one small mercy is that their four sons, all asleep upstairs, never saw the intruder.
“We didn’t see his face, even Kevin can’t picture him,” Sarah said. “That’s actually a blessing. We don’t have that image haunting us.”
Neighbors told FOX 31 the break-in has shaken their sense of security. Denver police are reminding residents to lock doors and windows, install exterior lighting and report suspicious activity immediately.
The Denver District Attorney’s Office told Fox News Digital it could not comment on the case.
“This case has not reached a final disposition,” a spokesperson said. “It is the position of this office that we do not release records on pending cases so as not to compromise the integrity of the case.”
Stepheny Price covers crime, including missing persons, homicides and migrant crime. Send story tips to stepheny.price@fox.com.
