ORLANDO, Fla. – An 11-year-old girl can be heard whispering to an emergency operator while hiding in a closet during a burglary at her home in a newly released 911 call.
Ashley Bermudez had only been left alone for a few minutes when she saw a purple Kia pull up into her driveway. She called her mother, who had gone to the store, then called 911. The girl went to her room upstairs and hid in her closet as three men broke into her Orlando home Tuesday around 1 p.m.
The girl's 911 call was released Wednesday afternoon and is available here in its entirety.
The call, which lasts about 10 minutes, begins before the men enter the home and ends after emergency officials and the girl's mother arrive.
About three minutes into the call, the men kick down the door and enter the bedroom where Ashley was hiding.
"Oh no, please," she said to the burglars. "Please, I won't say anything. I promise you."
The men ran out of the house after seeing the girl, the Orange County Sheriff's Office said.
The operator instructed Ashley to stay hidden in her bedroom as she asks the girl to describe the men who broke into her home. Once the men flee, Ashley's worry shifts to the safety of her dog and her parents.
"I have a question for you," the girl said. "Will my parents get in trouble?"
She said she was worried that her parents would go to jail because she was home alone.
"You're 11 years old, but you're doing a great job, OK?" the operator replies.
Deputies said Ramon Franklin, 18, and two male teens, ages 16 and 14, were responsible for the burglary. When the first deputy arrived on scene, he saw the men fleeing in a vehicle that was later determined to have been stolen, officials said.
The suspects were caught when they crashed the vehicle into a flatbed truck on State Road 417, according to an arrest affidavit.
Deputies said the suspects stole several Christmas presents, including electronics, jewelry, cash and clothing adding up to more than $13,000 worth of items. All three are expected to face burglary and theft charges.
Tom Amendola said he didn't want the family to go without gifts.
He pulled up in front of their home on Wednesday evening and delivered bags full of gifts and two bicycles, hoping to replace what the burglars took.
"Three criminal punks try to ruin Christmas for this beautiful young girl," he said.
Ashley thanked Amendola, saying she appreciated everyone supporting her and being kind.