Repeat offender allegedly breaks into Denver home, heads toward kids’ rooms

A Denver family said they experienced every parent’s worst nightmare when they woke up in the middle of the night to find a stranger walking into their child’s bedroom.

In an interview with Fox News Digital, Kevin and Sarah Root described the terrifying early morning encounter at their southwest Denver home. The couple said the break-in occurred around 3:30 a.m.

“We heard footsteps coming up the stairs towards where our room was,” Kevin recalled. “We looked at each other and said, ‘There’s someone in our house.’ You realize you’re not dreaming; this is real.”

Sarah quickly grabbed her phone to call 911 while her husband went to check the hallway.

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“The fear of what will happen when my husband opens the door, that’s the thing that keeps recurring in my mind,” she said. “Your instincts are activated and the fear of the unknown is truly terrifying.”

Kevin said he yelled at the man several times to leave, but the intruder continued walking toward the rooms where his sons were sleeping.

“When he stopped at the top of the stairs, I opened the door, jumped out and pushed him down the stairs as hard as I could,” he said.

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Kevin and Sarah Root said they took action after a repeat offender broke into their home in the early hours of the morning. (Kevin Root)

The police arrived minutes later and detained the suspect. Sarah said she felt like this was going to go on forever as she stayed on the phone with dispatchers, watching the front door and trying to calm her son down.

“Just ‘Are you sure the cops are on the way?’ “I remember repeating this over and over again,” he said. “Three minutes felt like three hours. When I saw the police lights flashing on the wall, I felt relieved. We were okay, we were going to be okay. But when the adrenaline wore off, the tears started coming and the fear started to spread like wildfire.”

The man, identified as 36-year-old Charley Cooley, faces a second-degree felony robbery charge and is his second robbery arrest this year, according to records obtained by FOX 31 Denver.

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Police responded shortly after the 911 call and took Cooley into custody.

No one was physically injured, but Sarah said emotional recovery was slow.

“It’s been a process. It was quite difficult for me to sleep, and I still relive that moment when I look at our bedroom door,” she said. “It’s like a loss, like a loss of feeling safe in our home.”

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court records Reviewed by FOX 31 Denver Cooley was previously arrested for another felony in September. Roots said they were stunned to learn he was released within days.

“We then learned about his criminal history and it stirred up a whole new layer of emotion,” Sarah said. “It is troubling that something so invasive and violating could be allowed to happen and the person is back on the streets.”

The judge set bond at $5,000 property/surety or $500 cash, and Cooley posted $500 cash on Nov. 11, according to the Denver District Attorney’s Office, FOX 31 Denver reported.

“Multiple crimes were committed and both times he was released,” Kevin said. “The fact is he’s back and he has a history of doing that.”

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Sarah and Kevin Root describe their terrifying experience after encountering a repeat burglar at their home while their four children slept. (Fox News Digital)

Kevin said he tries to focus on gratitude instead of anger.

“I hope he can get the help he needs,” he said. “I don’t think he wants to do this at the cost of his life. Maybe this is a rock-bottom moment for him.”

Despite the trauma, Sarah said she was grateful for how things ended.

“We are very grateful that no one was injured, including himself,” he said. “We hope that justice will be served and that he will be placed in a place that will prevent him from harming anyone else.”

The couple said their four sons, who were sleeping upstairs, never saw the intruder.

“We haven’t seen his face, even Kevin can’t picture him,” Sarah said. “This is actually a blessing. This image does not bother us.”

Neighbors told FOX 31 the break-in shook their sense of safety. Denver police remind residents to lock doors and windows, install exterior lighting and report suspicious activity immediately.

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The Denver District Attorney’s Office told Fox News Digital it could not comment on the case.

“No final decision has been reached in this case,” a spokesman said. “It is the duty of this office that we do not release records related to ongoing cases so as not to compromise the integrity of the case.”

Stepheny Price covers crimes including missing persons, murders and immigration crime. Send story tips to stepheny.price@fox.com.