92-year-old woman hides behind shed, calls cops to catch burglars near Belleville

St. Clair County authorities said a 92-year-old metro-east woman hid behind her shed last week when she realized two men were breaking into her house.

Both suspects, identified as 31-year-old Tommie J. Fenton Jr. and 27-year-old Tydon L. Woolens, were taken into custody shortly after the break-in by the St. Clair County Sheriff’s Department on April 19. Capt. Scott Weymouth said the incident happened around 11:58 a.m. near Belleville. Both men were charged with residential burglary on Thursday.

“We were called to the 2700 block of E. Main Street in unincorporated Belleville in regards to a home invasion,” Weymouth said. “When the officer arrived, he met with our victim who was a 92-year-old female, and she was hiding behind the shed in the rear of the residence.”

According to the report, the woman said she saw two men kick in her front door. That’s when she decided to hide. Weymouth said there were no injuries as a result of the incident. Belleville Police Department also arrived on scene to assist.

Both suspects were identified by authorities and taken into custody in the same area that day, Weymouth said. The case was assigned to Investigator Scott Toth.

Fenton and Woolens, both from East St. Louis, were each charged with residential burglary by the state’s attorney’s office. Bail was set at $100,000 for Fenton and $75,000 for Woolens. Authorities said both men remain in the St. Clair County Jail, as of Monday.

This story was originally published April 25, 2016 at 3:24 PM with the headline "92-year-old woman hides behind shed, calls cops to catch burglars near Belleville."