At the time of the break-in, Rivera was in bed. The noise prompted her to quickly leave her room and make her way onto the roof.
She was able to escape out a window, distancing herself from the intruder’s approach.
Melora Rivera recounted to CBS News: “He managed to break one of these panels and reach in to unlock the door. Once I saw him in the house, I knew that we both couldn’t be there. I knew that I didn’t want to have a confrontation with him of any sort, you know, not knowing what his intention was.”
On her way to the roof, Rivera managed to grab her phone and dial 911 as the intruder, identified later as Christian Hicks, allegedly chased her.
Upon reaching a dispatcher, Rivera decided it was safest to hide under an eave—a strategy that proved successful.
Nonetheless, the experience remained frightening for the Californian resident.
She added: “The drop is, I would guess, more than 20 feet. So there was no safely jumping off the roof or coming down from the roof at that point.
“It was my biggest fear was that he was going to be forced by the cops to come hide in basically the same place I was hiding.”
Local authorities reported that police reached Rivera in under two minutes after receiving the call, allowing her to quickly escape the dangerous situation.
Alexandria Thompson witnessed the entire event, watching as Rivera was safely assisted off the roof by the fire brigade, who also responded to the emergency.
Speaking to CBS, the bystander said: “I saw this guy this morning in handcuffs. I’ve seen him in my yard. I called the police.”
Although Hicks was initially detained, police had to release him after the person who alerted them declined to identify him in person.
Rivera has since voiced her concerns about homelessness in the area, emphasizing the need for addressing these issues to prevent similar incidents.
“I think it’s very obvious for most of us who live around here, when someone seems to be suffering from a mental illness, and to continue to let these people walk around without offering them assistance, to protect them and us,” she added.