Police: Man catches burglary suspect inside mother's home

Wilmington, Del. (WTXF) - A man caught a burglary suspect inside his mother's New Castle home. The family believes the suspect had been watching the home and possibly targeted the victim because of her age.

"I'm her only son and that's what my job is so I wasn't afraid," said Anthony Selby who will always be his mother's hero. Especially after what he did when he woke up to find a teenager hiding on the bedroom floor of his mother's New Castle County home.

"I heard some noise in the house but I just thought it was my mother moving around getting herself ready for the day and I dozed back off," said Selby. But it wasn't his mother Sylvia. It was a 17-year-old boy who Selby had broken in to try to rob them. It happened around 4 o'clock Wednesday morning.

"When I woke back up I noticed someone crawling on the floor in the bedroom that I was in. He was reaching for something on the dresser and I said who is it and they didn't answer. Then they ducked down on the floor," said Selby who says he then jumped up, turned on the light and grabbed the teen.

His mother was sleeping in a bedroom down the hall. She woke up from the commotion.

"I just grabbed him and told my mother to call the police as we were tussling," he said.

Selby held the teen until police got there. He had allegedly moved a front lawn table to a side window to step on and climb in through the kitchen.

"The best is to always first and foremost to call 911 and get the police officers rolling. Also remember no property is worth your wellbeing or yourself becoming injured," said Master Corporal Michael Ecker with New Castle County Police.

Selby and his sister who lives two doors down immediately had bars installed over the window.

"We got that the same day after it happened."

But Ms. Sylvia who is 79 years old and has lived here 51 years says it's going to be a while before she feels safe in her home again.

"I've been here so long I guess I had gotten adjusted to nothing happening. I'm just blessed that my son was here and saved me and protected me," she said.

The family believes the suspect had been watching the home and possibly targeted the victim because of her age. What he didn't know is that Selby lives in Washington D.C. but was in New Castle staying with his mother while he was on a work assignment in the area. Selby says the teen was reaching for money and maybe car keys on the nightstand when they caught him. Police say the teen has been charged and is being held on $9,000 bail.