CNN news 2010-03-14 加文本

2010-03-14 cnn

A seven-year-oid's quick thinking saves his family. cnn's RANDI KAYE tells us why he's now being called "the hero".

RANDI KAYE, cnn CORRESPONDENT (voice-over):  Courage sometimes comes in small packages, like this 7-year-old from California.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I would like to introduce our hero from yesterday. His 911 call that may have saved his family's life. His name is Carlos.

KAYE: Carlos, a second grader from Norwalk, California, had a good reason for missing school yesterday morning. Three armed men entered his home through an unlocked front door. They had guns and threatened his mom and dad.

(on camera) Carlos quickly grabbed his 6-year-old sister and hid in the bathroom. From there he made this desperate call for help to 911.

CARLOS: Can you come really fast, please, please!

PATINO: Can you tell me what happened?

CARLOS: They come. They ring the door, and they have guns, and they shoot my mom and dad.

PATINO: Right now?

CARLOS: Yes, can you come really fast? Bring a cops -- lots of them.

PATINO: OK, I have them coming.

KAYE: 911 operator Monique Patino knew she had to act fast.

PATINO: Listen to me. I have them coming. Listen, OK? Take a deep breath. I already have the police coming.

CARLOS: And bring soldiers, too! Can you come really, really fast? Hurry up!

PATINO: Yes, stay on the line with me. Don't hang up. Listen to me. We're coming to help you, but listen to me, OK?

CARLOS: OK.

PATINO: I couldn't really think too much about the emotion. It was more of just an instant reaction. I needed to get help to him.

KAYE: Before help could get there, the suspects figured out someone was hiding in the bathroom. They busted open the door to find Carlos on the phone.

PATINO: Stay where you are and don't hang up, whatever you do.

CARLOS: OK. There was a guy.

KAYE: When the bad guys asked who he was talking to, the brave little boy told them straight up he called 911. The suspects took off and left Carlos' family intact, nobody injured.

PATINO: Once I heard the screams toward the end, I mean, honestly, I'm holding the phone, and I'm in tears. I can barely talk. I'm shaking. I'm in tears, because all I hear is them ....