A man allegedly followed a teenage girl from her school bus stop into her home, but he had no idea her Army veteran father was inside and ready to act.
Mike Oliver, an Army veteran and father of 15, was shocked to find a man inside his Livonia, Michigan, home one Monday afternoon. According to Fox 2 Detroit, the man had allegedly followed Oliver’s teenage daughter from her bus stop into their house. “The door was left open, and I heard her talking,” Oliver recalled. “I got up, went to the door, and there was a guy standing right there.”
Oliver’s daughter, a 10th grader at Franklin High School, sensed something was wrong as she walked home from the bus stop. She realized she was being watched and followed. When she reached her front door, the man approached her, asking if her parents were home and followed her inside, according to WXYZ.
Luckily, her father was sitting in the living room waiting for her when he noticed the man, who appeared to be about 30 years old. Oliver confronted him, demanding to know what he was doing in the house. Instead of responding, the suspect tried to flee. But Oliver, a trained Army veteran, wasn’t about to let him escape.
The man, later identified as 27-year-old David Roberts of Livonia, didn’t get far. Oliver chased him outside, grabbing him by the hair in a struggle on the front lawn. “He was twisting like an alligator, but he got away,” Oliver said. The suspect managed to slip out of Oliver’s grasp and ran around the corner.
Unfazed, Oliver got into his truck and pursued the man through the neighborhood, with the help of his 19-year-old son and neighbors. Meanwhile, Oliver called 911. Within minutes, police arrived and found Roberts hiding in a nearby backyard. He was arrested and charged with breaking and entering and assaulting a police officer. His bond was set at 10% of $100,000.
Reflecting on the incident, Oliver said Roberts was fortunate. “He could’ve been lying on the ground today,” he said, suggesting things could have gone much worse for the intruder. “But this isn’t about being right, it’s about doing what’s right,” he added.
While Oliver’s daughter is physically safe, the emotional toll has left her shaken. “She didn’t even want to go to school today because she was scared for her life,” her mother, Cindy Oliver, shared.
This incident serves as a reminder for parents and children to remain vigilant. It’s recommended that children walk in groups or with a friend to and from school and report anything suspicious to an adult or call 911 immediately. Staying alert can be the first line of defense against potential danger.
