Dad fights off repeat offender accused of creeping toward kids as family slept - 'Somebody's in our house'

A Denver family said they lived every parent's worst nightmare - waking up in the middle of the night to find a stranger walking toward their children's bedrooms.

In an interview with Fox News Digital, Kevin and Sarah Root described the terrifying early-morning encounter inside their southwest Denver home. The couple said the break-in happened around 3:30 a.m.

"We heard the footsteps coming up the stairs to where our room is," Kevin recalled. "We looked at each other and said, 'Somebody's in our house.' You realize you're not dreaming - this is real."

Sarah immediately grabbed her phone to call 911 while her husband went to check the hallway.

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"The fear of what's going to happen when my husband opens the door, that's what replays in my mind the most," she said. "Your gut just kicks in, and the fear of the unknown is really terrifying."

Kevin said he shouted several times for the man to leave, but the intruder kept walking toward the rooms where their boys were sleeping.

"When he paused at the top of the stairs, I whipped open the door, jumped out and pushed him as hard as I could down the stairs," he said.

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Police arrived minutes later and took the suspect into custody. Sarah said it felt like forever as she stayed on the phone with dispatchers, watching the front door and trying to keep her son calm.

"I just remember repeating over and over, 'Are you sure the cops are on their way?'" she said. "Three minutes feels like three hours. When I saw the flashing police lights on the wall, it was instant relief - we were OK, we were going to be OK. But once the adrenaline wore off, tears came and fear crept in big time."

The man, identified as 36-year-old Charley Cooley, faces a felony second-degree robbery charge - his second robbery arrest this year, according to records obtained by FOX 31 Denver.

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Police responded soon after the 911 call and took Cooley into custody. 

No one was physically hurt, but Sarah said the emotional recovery has been slow.

"It's been a process. My sleep has been pretty difficult, and I still replay the moment when I look at our bedroom door," she said. "It feels like a loss, the loss of feeling safe in our home."

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Court records reviewed by FOX 31 Denver show Cooley was previously arrested in September for another felony robbery allegedly committed earlier this year. The Roots said they were stunned to learn he was released within days.

"We found out later about his criminal background, and that stirred up a whole new layer of emotion," Sarah said. "It feels unsettling that something so invasive and violating is permitted to happen and the person is back on the street."

According to the Denver District Attorney's Office, the judge set bond at $5,000 property/surety or $500 cash, and Cooley posted $500 cash on Nov. 11, FOX 31 Denver reported.

"Multiple offenses and he's been released both times," Kevin said. "The reality is he's back out and has a history of doing this."

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Kevin said he's trying to focus on gratitude rather than anger.

"I hope he's able to get the help he needs," he said. "I don't think he wants to be doing this with his life - maybe this is a rock-bottom moment for him."

Despite the trauma, Sarah said she's grateful for how things ended.

"We're so thankful no one was hurt, including him," she said. "We hope there's justice and that he's placed somewhere that prevents him from hurting anyone else."

The couple said one small mercy is that their four sons, all asleep upstairs, never saw the intruder.

"We didn't see his face, even Kevin can't picture him," Sarah said. "That's actually a blessing. We don't have that image haunting us."

Neighbors told FOX 31 the break-in has shaken their sense of security. Denver police are reminding residents to lock doors and windows, install exterior lighting and report suspicious activity immediately.

The Denver District Attorney's Office told Fox News Digital it could not comment on the case.

"This case has not reached a final disposition," a spokesperson said. "It is the position of this office that we do not release records on pending cases so as not to compromise the integrity of the case."