WEBER COUNTY, Utah – Audio from a 911 call reveals terrifying moments for two Weber County girls who hid as intruders broke into their West Weber home Wednesday.
Kylee Newell, 13, was on the phone with police while comforting her 8-year-old sister as thieves ransacked their home.
Police said because Kylee kept her cool, she and her sister are safe and the suspects are behind bars.
In the 911 call, you can hear Kylee breathing heavily and whispering.
"They were banging on the door, at my front door," she tells a dispatcher.
When two intruders couldn't kick in the front door, cops said they broke into the home through a side door.
"They're now in the house," whispered Kylee to the dispatcher
"I was having a hard time breathing cause I was crying so much," she added
Dispatcher: “How many does it sound like, can you tell?”
Kylee: “Two.”
Dispatcher: “Can you hear 'em talking?”
Kylee: “Yeah.”
"They went and trashed our bedroom, my wife's and my bedroom," said Kylee's father, Russell Newell
Police said 50-year-old Robert Paul and 31-year-old Amy Hulse stole items as they ransacked the Newell's home. Meanwhile, Kylee and her sister hid in their bedroom closet and kept quiet when one of the intruders entered the room.
"He took a couple steps in and was literally 3 feet away from where my daughters were," Russell Newell said.
"They did an awesome job and kept their wits about 'em; they didn't scream or freak out," said Weber County Deputy Weston Vought.
Kylee said she stayed strong for her sister.
"I knew my sister is in the closet, and if he catches me he's gonna catch her too, so I had to think of her, not just myself--and that's probably what made my keep my cool," Kylee said.
The 13-year-old followed the dispatcher's commands. By that point, cops were already on their way.
"As I pulled up to the scene, I could see one of the suspects flee the house," Deputy Vought said.
Vought pulled the suspects over and arrested them on burglary, theft and drug charges.
"Definitely it'll take a while for me to get over what happened," Kylee said.
But 24 hours after sheer terror, the Newell daughters are enjoying being kids again.
"Like, I'm OK, nothing happened to us," Kylee said
"I'm so proud of my oldest and even my youngest for what they did," their father said.
According to the Weber County Sheriff's Office, this was a random crime and the suspects were casing rural homes where they thought people wouldn't be home.
Police said Kylee Newell did everything right and her story should serve as an opportunity for parents to talk to their teenagers and kids about what to do if they are home alone during a break-in. Police said they should make sure doors and windows are locked, have access to a cell phone, don't hesitate to call 911 and stay calm. Kaylee Newell stayed calm, and it paid off.
