Published: October 01, 2008 10:19 pm      

Mailman aids woman during burglary

EDMOND — An Edmond postal worker helped police catch a suspect who was attempting to burglarize a 65-year-old woman’s home.

Late Monday morning Sheryl Davison was at home because she was feeling too ill to go to work at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, where she is the Child Development Center director, Davison said in a phone interview with The Sun. Her husband was not home.

According to a police report, while Davison was lying on the couch, she heard the doorbell ring and she peeked out the front window to see who was there.

Davison said she saw a young man who looked like a clean-cut college student, and she thought he might have been putting a flyer on her door. She did not know the individual so she did not open the door.

Davison said she heard him try to open the door, which was locked. Police said she saw him walk around the side of her house and she went to her kitchen to call her neighbor. Then she saw him trying to get in a back door.

Davison said she saw him standing in her house between the family room and the kitchen. She was trying to call 9-1-1, but was too shaky to press the right buttons. In an effort to startle him into leaving she screamed at him.

“What are you doing inside my house?” she yelled.

The suspect stepped toward her and she got out of her house, went to the garage and saw a mailman delivering next door. She asked the mailman to call 9-1-1.

While that was going on, the suspect had left out the back door, gone around the side of the house and ran down the street. Within a matter of minutes, Edmond Police arrived, led by Officer Rickey Ecker.

“I’ve never seen such fast response,” Davison said.

Edmond postal worker Steve Suenram, 53, and Davison gave 9-1-1 a description of the suspect, police said. Suenram said he saw a motorcycle in the area that ordinarily was not there. He said the police learned the motorcycle belonged to the suspect. He kept an eye on where the suspect was headed.

“I didn’t do all that much,” Suenram said, adding that he does not desire publicity for his actions.

Meanwhile, police said an employee at CVS Pharmacy, 1520 S. Bryant Ave., saw the suspect enter the store with a backpack. Moments later the suspect saw Sgt. James Teel, and he hid his backpack in the store.

Glynda Chu, spokeswoman for the Edmond Police Department, said police had a description of the suspect, which included a backpack. Police arrested Sean Patrick Reese, 24, on a complaint of first-degree burglary. He was taken to the Oklahoma County Jail.

Chu said it was a frightening situation that ended well. No one was injured, there was no loss of property and police were able to arrest the subject, she said.

“The homeowner did a great job,” Chu said. “She had her phone in her hand, calling 9-1-1 and ran for help as soon as possible. We would like to remind everyone to please keep their doors locked when they are home as well as when they leave, and their garage doors always closed to better protect themselves.”

Davison said she normally does not open a door unless she knows the person and she usually keeps all of her doors locked. She wants others to learn from her harrowing experience.

“I hope this can help somebody,” she said. “It’s scary. I’ll tell anybody, I was scared out of my mind.”

Davison praised the police and Suenram for their roles in catching the suspect.

Bill Coyle, St. John’s business manager, counseled Davison shortly after the incident. Coyle, a former police officer and detective with the Norman Police Department, said after hearing her story, he believed her actions prevented possible injury. Running out of the house was wise, he said.

“I’m an old lady, but I can move,” Davison said.

Coyle said he believes it was no accident that the Suenram was delivering the mail next door. Coyle said in addition to calling 9-1-1, Suenram comforted Davison. Suenram said he just hopes if he or a family member were ever in a similar situation, that someone would help.

Coyle said the story is contrary to others in which bystanders don’t offer help. He said it’s an example of what makes Oklahoma stand out from other states.