A middle school teacher was robbed and threatened at knifepoint while on a Zoom call with a student, News 5 Cleveland reported.
Amanda Zupancic, a special education teacher at Kirtland Local Schools in Ohio, was on a Zoom call with a student and his mom when she heard a loud crash, News 5 Cleveland reported.
“I heard a glass shattering crash downstairs. I was like, hold on, I think someone is breaking into my house, just joking. I didn’t think anyone would be breaking into my house in the middle of the day,” Zupancic told News 5 Cleveland.
Things quickly took a more violent turn. Zupancic saw a man, Charles Derosett, walking upstairs, knife in hand, News 5 Cleveland reported.
A special ed teacher was robbed at knifepoint while a student and family heard it on a Zoom call https://t.co/vJ6aNouxL7 pic.twitter.com/dJIu9wSqHu
— Steve Bottari (@WMTWSteve) December 9, 2020
Zupancic recalled the terrifying situation, “He started threatening me, yelling at me, calling me names. He grabbed me upstairs in my bedroom,” according to News 5 Cleveland.
The student and mom were still watching the events unfold on her computer and called the police for help, per News 5 Cleveland. (RELATED: Seven-Year-Old’s Sexual Assault Live-Streamed During Break From Online Class)
Derosett allowed Zupancic to run downstairs to grab her car keys. Instead, she released her two dogs, according to News 5 Cleveland.
“The German Shepherd stood between myself and this guy, and the Great Dane Boxer mix went at him,” Zupancic told News 5 Cleveland.
While Derosett was distracted, Zupancic rushed him with a pair of scissors, chasing him down the street as she yelled for help. A local contractor saw the commotion and held Derosett on the ground until police arrived at the scene, News 5 Cleveland reported.
Derosett has been charged with aggravated robbery and felonious assault, among other charges, according to News 5 Cleveland.