MONROE, N.C. — A woman said Friday she is still traumatized after a teen allegedly broke into her Union County home and tried to rape her in bed while she was next to her child.
The incident happened around 11 p.m. on Wednesday on Cotton Street.
Monroe Police said the suspect entered her apartment through a window. They said the woman woke up to him trying to remove her clothing and screamed, which caused the suspect to flee the scene before officers arrived.
The victim spoke with Channel 9’s Gina Esposito the day after a juvenile was arrested.
On Thursday, police identified the juvenile who was under the age of 16 through video and by following up on leads. He’s now in custody and charged with first-degree burglary and second-degree attempted forcible rape.
This all happened in a senior community.
Esposito spoke with the victim. She’s not a senior citizen, but lives in the community with her mom.
“My nerves are so bad,” the victim, who didn’t want to be identified, told Esposito. “I’m still shaking.”
She didn’t hear anything when it happened.
“I woke up to him pulling my shirt up, and it scared me,” she said. “All I saw was a blur, and I was like, ‘Who are you?’”
She added, “I jumped out of bed, and he stood up, and he started coming this way. Walking, not really running. Just walking really fast. He unlocked the deadbolt to get out. I didn’t know at the time how he got in.”
Her mother called the police.
“I just glad he didn’t have a weapon, because then it might have been different,” she said. “I don’t know. I feel like my child saved my life, because I don’t think he knew there was a kid in there. It’s really scary. It takes away all your security and your safety.”
The victim believes her window wasn’t the only one the suspect tried to open that night.
She wonders why he would target a vulnerable community.
“(It’s) sad because it like, where his parents?” she said. “Does he have parents? I have four boys and to imagine that my kid did that to somebody or would want to do that somebody. It’s just sad. I am mad, angry, but mostly sad.”
Lt. Morgan Malone with Monroe Police said investigators aren’t sure why he chose this specific victim.
Investigators are looking into every lead.
“They had been going through different security footage and doorbell cameras, and anything people could get us that was helpful, and they were able to identify him.”
Many people in the neighborhood said they are shocked by what happened, but also relieved that someone was caught.
“I didn’t expect it to happen here,” one neighbor said. “I really didn’t expect it.”
The victim said they’ve added cameras and other security measures to her home and wants the complex to do more to ensure it never happens again.
The suspect will go through the juvenile justice system.
VIDEO: Thief caught on camera breaking into north Charlotte bar
©2026 Cox Media Group
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/LH3JSJEF3VBLRJLJQESEAG34AM.png)
