A grandmother in Staten Island, New York, says she feared for her life when an intruder armed with a knife forced his way into her home. 58-year-old Stacie Vota, who was caring for her granddaughter at the time, recognized the man who rang her doorbell as someone who had worked on her home in the past.
Vota, who had the baby in her arms a shortly before 9 am on Monday, says she put her granddaughter down before simply cracking open the door. The man then grabbed her and pushed her inside. Immediately, her instinct kicked in and she started fighting back, well aware that it was not just her life that was at stake.
“I started punching him and he was grabbing at me. And I was grabbing at him and I was punching his face and kicking him,” Vota told CBS2’s Scott Rapoport. “The baby was behind me and I knew, I knew that I had to protect that baby. My granddaughter.”
Eventually, she said she was able to open the front door and scream for help. The intruder ran through the kitchen and out the back door. When Vota returned to check on her granddaughter, she saw that the intruder had left behind a large steak knife.
When NYPD officers arrived in the Tottenville neighborhood, they searched the area for the suspect but by then he was long gone. Although she sustained some bruises, Vota managed to avoid any major injuries, and most importantly, her granddaughter is unharmed. She believes that the intruder never expected her to fight back.
The US Department of Justice estimates that 1.03 million home invasions occur each year. Most home invasions occur between 10 am and 3 pm when many homes are empty. Most states consider home invasion a felony and the average jail sentence ranges from 5 to 20 years, depending on the degree of the home invasion.
Security experts recommend always making sure your home looks occupied by leaving lights on and the grass cut. It is important to not leave mail stacked up in the mailbox, to lock all doors and windows, and to test all locks on windows and doors periodically. In addition, homeowners should keep their valuables stored out of sight and avoid opening the door to strangers.
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Staten Island has an average crime rate of 13 per 1,000 residents, which makes the crime rate relatively average for all cities and towns in America. According to FBI crime data analysis, the chance of becoming a victim of crime in Staten Island is 1 in 78. In general, however, violent crimes, as well as property crimes, in Staten Island are below the national average.
Source: CBS