Simply Speaking
Criminal and victim both call 911
[based on actual events]
Getting Started
  • Have you ever called 911 or other emergency number?
  • Has anyone ever broken into your house or car?
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Marsha Sutler was having a restful evening at home when suddenly she heard a loud crash in her kitchen. Fearing that someone might be breaking into her house through the back door, she ran for the front door. However, she wasn't fast enough and a male stranger, dressed in black, grabbed her from behind by the hair. He threw her against the wall and pulled a knife on her and told her to show him her jewelry or any other valuables that she had.

Marsha, a quite clever woman, took him upstairs to her dresser where she had a gun hidden in one of the drawers. She told the man to open the drawer on the end and when he did, she quickly opened the middle drawer and pulled out a gun and told him to get down on the floor. When the man didn't respond to her request, she shot a hole in the wall beside him. The man immediately ran into her bathroom and locked himself inside. When she shot through the door, he leaped into the bathtub, getting as low as he could.

In the meantime, Marsha speed-dialed 911 on her cell phone, and so did the criminal. 911 operators received both calls at the same time.

Marsha told the 911 operator, “A man broke into my house, and now I'm holding him at gunpoint, please, get the police here as soon as possible.” The criminal was on the other line saying “There's a crazy woman shooting at me, I'm hiding in the bathtub. I think she's going to kill me!”

The police soon arrived and took matters into their own hands. When the police asked Marsha what she was thinking, Marsha replied, “I was just worried that he wouldn't stop at taking my jewelry and would rape or murder me. I wasn't going down without a fight.”

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Intruder Takes Shower, calls 911

Maila West arrived home to find that an intruder had made himself at home and was taking a shower in her bathroom. She immediately called 911. She yelled to the intruder not to come out because she had a shotgun. The intruder was so frightened that he also called 911 for help. It seems the intruder was not a burglar but just a vagabond who hadn't had a good shower in a very long time.

Comprehension Questions
  1. When Marsha heard the loud crash, what did she do? Why?
  2. Did she make it to the front door? What happened?
  3. What did the intruder ask her to do?
  4. In what way did Marsha trick the intruder?
  5. Why did Marsha shoot a hole in the wall?
  6. Why was the man in the bathtub?
  7. When the police arrived what did they do?
  8. In the second story, why did the intruder break into Maila's house?
Discussion
  1. If you didn't have a job for long time, would you break into someone's house and steal their jewelry?
  2. What is the down-side to being a criminal?
  3. Crime doesn't pay, or does it?

Dictation (audioVid)

Dictation Check
  1. Marsha was at home relaxing when she heard a loud crash in her kitchen.
  2. Fearing someone was breaking-in, she rushed for the front door.
  3. She didn't make it. A man grabbed her and threatened her with a knife.
  4. He wanted all her jewelry and valuables.
  5. Marsha led the man upstairs to her jewelry box.
  6. When the man reached for the box, Marsha opened a drawer and pulled-out a gun.
  7. She told the man to get on the floor.
  8. The man didn't do it, so Marsha shot the wall.
  9. The man ran into her bathroom, jumped in the tub, and called 9-1-1.
  10. She held the man at gun-point until the police arrived.