A MA Girl Armed With Knives Wards Off A Home Intruder, Then Helps Cops Catch Him

MIDDLEBOROUGH, MA — A 14-year-old girl's quick thinking helped catch a career criminal last weekend when he tried breaking into and burglarizing her Middleborough home, according to police.

Avery Cormier was sleeping around 7:20 a.m. Friday when an intruder broke into her home, according to Middleborough police. When she realized the man was stealing things, she took matters into her own hands.

Cormier grabbed two steak knives and confronted the intruder, WCVB in Boston reported. The intruder was later identified as 58-year-old Joseph Ridge of Bourne, police said.

"I yelled at him to get out of the house because it's not his house," Cormier told WCVB.

Cormier then chased Ridge out of the house while also pulling out her cell phone, reports stated.

"I got him out of the house. I scared him. I took a video of his truck leaving so I have his license plate number," the teen said in the 911 call released by police.

The video she shot helped crack the case, authorities said. Police were able to track down the 2010 Chevy Silverado using its license plate number from Cormier's video.

Ridge was apprehended by Massachusetts State Police and was taken to the Middleborough Police Department for booking. He was being held on a $200,000 bond, WCVB reported.

"The suspect in this case is a career criminal who was arrested after terrorizing a 14-year-old girl in her own home. Hopefully his arrest this time will bring this known felon to account for his crimes," Middleborough Police Chief Joseph Perkins said in a release.

Ridge is facing charges of aggravated breaking and entering during the daytime, trespassing and disorderly conduct, according to police.