In an interview with Fox News Digital, Kevin and Sarah Root described the terrifying early-morning encounter inside their southwest Denver home. The couple said the break-in happened around 3:30 a.m.
“We heard the footsteps coming up the stairs to where our room is,” Kevin recalled. “We looked at each other and said, ‘Somebody’s in our house.’ You realize you’re not dreaming — this is real.”
Sarah immediately grabbed her phone to call 911 while her husband went to check the hallway.
“The fear of what’s going to happen when my husband opens the door, that’s what replays in my mind the most,” she said. “Your gut just kicks in, and the fear of the unknown is really terrifying.”
Kevin said he shouted several times for the man to leave, but the intruder kept walking toward the rooms where their boys were sleeping.
“When he paused at the top of the stairs, I whipped open the door, jumped out and pushed him as hard as I could down the stairs,” he said.
Police arrived minutes later and took the suspect into custody. Sarah said it felt like forever as she stayed on the phone with dispatchers, watching the front door and trying to keep her son calm.
“I just remember repeating over and over, ‘Are you sure the cops are on their way?’” she said. “Three minutes feels like three hours. When I saw the flashing police lights on the wall, it was instant relief. We were OK, we were going to be OK. But once the adrenaline wore off, tears came and fear crept in big time.”
The man, identified as 36-year-old Charley Cooley, faces a felony second-degree robbery charge, his second robbery arrest this year, according to records obtained by FOX 31 Denver.
Police responded soon after the 911 call and took Cooley into custody.
No one was physically hurt, but Sarah said the emotional recovery has been slow.
“It’s been a process. My sleep has been pretty difficult, and I still replay the moment when I look at our bedroom door,” she said. “It feels like a loss, the loss of feeling safe in our home.”
Court records reviewed by FOX 31 Denver show Cooley was previously arrested in September for another felony robbery. The Roots said they were stunned to learn he was released within days.
“It’s been a process. My sleep has been pretty difficult, and I still replay the moment when I look at our bedroom door,” she said. “It feels like a loss, the loss of feeling safe in our home.”
“We found out later about his criminal background, and that stirred up a whole new layer of emotion,” Sarah said. “It feels unsettling that something so invasive and violating is permitted to happen, and the person is back on the street.”
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According to the Denver District Attorney’s Office, a judge set bond at $5,000 property/surety or $500 cash, and Cooley posted $500 cash on Nov. 11, FOX 31 Denver reported.
“Multiple offenses, and he’s been released both times,” Kevin said. “The reality is he’s back out and has a history of doing this.”