A frightening home invasion became even more terrifying when the intruder followed a young woman to her roof where she was hiding. INSIDE EDITION has the report.
The raw terror is evident in this remarkable photo as a young woman hides from a home invader, on her roof. Just above her, the intruder she's fleeing peers over the rooftop, apparently looking for her.
The frightened woman covers her mouth as she whispers to a 911 operator on her cellphone, desperate not to give away her hiding spot.
The young woman awoke to see an intruder inside her home in Venice, California. There was only one way to escape. She climbed out the bedroom window, onto the roof.
Melora Rivera, an actress is the woman on the roof.
"I knew I didn't want a confrontation with him of any sort," Rivera told INSIDE EDITION.
Among her roles, she had a part in the movie Sparkle, the late Whitney Houston's last film.
Rivera's escape to the roof was so hasty she wore only a flannel shirt. The home invader actually followed her out.
"We both ended up on the roof, which was obviously the most terrifying part of the whole ordeal," said Rivera.
The photos were taken by a neighbor, Alexandria Thompson from the sidewalk below.
Watch more of Thompson's Interview
Thompson told INSIDE EDITION, "I zoomed in on her up on the roof, cowering and looking afraid. All of a sudden, this horrifying image pops up behind her. Everyone on the street gasped."
Thompson also shot a picture as cops trained their guns on the roof. An officer reported, "I have a suspect on gunpoint on the roof."
Rivera told INSIDE EDITION, "The guy's right behind me, so that was biggest fear, that he was going to be forced by the cops to come hide in basically the same place that I was hiding."
But a police helicopter sees the whole picture and radios that she's the victim.
Firefighters brought in a ladder to help Rivera down. Cops try to talk the intruder into giving up peacefully. Finally, he does.
Christian Hicks, described as a homeless man, was charged with burglary.
Rivera says she's lucky to have escaped unscathed.
