WILDWOOD — When a naked man burst into the home of Terry and Colleen France on June 25 and threatened to kill everyone, Terry tried to hold the intruder at bay with a knife while Colleen ran to the ADT home security system’s control panel and started pushing buttons.
She pushed the fire alarm button. She pushed the panic alarm button. She pushed the medical alarm button.
The noise from the alarm caused the suspect to flee, leaving the family scared but unharmed.
Meanwhile, a thousand miles away in Rochester, N.Y., Karen Montesano received Colleen’s distress signals and took action. The ADT monitoring center operator calmly called 911 in Sumter County, and within minutes Sheriff’s Deputy Jeffrey Cohen had apprehended 27-year-old Shawn Fortner.
It was later discovered that Fortner was suspected of killing his grandmother earlier in the day, and the Frances believe without their alarm system, they could have been killed and Fortner could have escaped and harmed others.
On Wednesday at the family’s home in The Fairways subdivision, the Frances had a chance to thank Montesano, as well as other ADT employees and law enforcement officials who helped keep them safe.
Colleen said while the incident was horrific, she viewed the reunion as a way to focus on the positive.
“We’re not thinking about what could have happened,” the fourth-grade teacher at The Villages Charter School said. “It’s what did happen that matters. Everybody did their job and our family is safe because of it. We’re so thankful.”
After attendees listened to the 59-second 911 call, Montesano and ADT coworker Gloria Torres, who sold the Frances their security system, received the company’s LifeSaver Award.
Also recognized were Sumter County deputies Cohen, John Knight, Jacob Halloway and Travis Sears; Sgt. Bob Capps; dispatchers Tammy Adams and Becky Pursley, and Wildwood Police Officer Anthony Tucker.
ADT corporate officials presented $5,000 grants to Wildwood Police Chief E.W. Reeser and Sumter County Sheriff Bill Farmer.
Montesano, who took her first plane ride to meet the France family, has worked for ADT for 11 years and said she handles an average of 20 calls per hour while on duty. She knew something was wrong when she got Colleen’s signals but didn’t learn how serious things were until later.
“I didn’t talk to her so I didn’t know what was happening at the time,” she said. “When I found out, I was so happy for them that they had an ADT system. Families ask us to put the system in their homes so they can feel safe, and it is good to see it work like that. I’m so glad I had a chance to come here and meet them.”
Sheriff Farmer, who has an ADT system at his house, said he was glad the story has a happy ending.
“It could have turned out bad without the alarm system,” he said. “As we later found out, this suspect had a complete disregard for human life. Thanks to the quick response of the operators at ADT and our two agencies, we were able to apprehend him and keep him from harming others.”
Listen to the 911 call at the link below:
http://villages-news.com/hear-the-911-that-saved-family-led-to-capture-of-suspect/
