"I woke up to him standing over my bed asking me to hide him," said an exasperated Roxanne Vanderveer, whose morning began with an escaped inmate breaking into her home demanding help.
The suspect Joshua Holmes had ran off from a work detail at a local landfill the day before and had the Hernando County (Florida) Sheriff's Office deputies hot on his tail in the town of Masaryktown.
"I look out my window I see cops going up and down the street. I'm scared, I'm thinking of my kids," the mother of two told Tampa-based WFTS.
Vanderveer said Holmes appeared scared and frantic as he hid from deputies inside her home. Afraid of how Holmes might react if she tried to get the attention of the deputies, she texted 911.
"Joshua Holmes is in my house. I'm afraid to call I have two small children in my house with me," wrote Vanderveer.
She said she knew Holmes personally from growing up in the community, but had lost touch with him over the years. Holmes just happened to be nearby running from deputies, breaking into several homes during his flight, said the Sheriff, when he finally ended up in Vanderveer's home.
After Vanderveer texted 911 her address, she made a run for it with her two kids.
Holmes was hiding in the family's attic when he was finally found by deputies. He ended up falling through the family's ceiling, and breaking a window before finally being captured.
Despite the damage to her home, Vanderveer thanks the deputies for their quick work
Holmes was originally charged and sentenced to prison for VOP Grand Theft Auto.
