Cellular Call Pinpointed, Rape Suspect Caught

When Tampa (Fla.) dispatcher Ve-etta Bess answered a 911 on New Year’s Day, she only spoke two words—”Hello?” twice. But those words were enough to help save a woman being held with a screwdriver to her throat by a serial rapist. Bess stayed on the line—silent—for 19 minutes as officers were dispatched to the woman’s location, as reported by her Sprint cellular phone. Fortunately, the phone had GPS features, and Tampa has Phase II service, so the location was accurate. The victim had dialed 911 early in the incident and had then put down the phone, so the suspect wasn’t aware of the open line to Bess. “I just want to go home to my baby girl,” the victim told the suspect. Bess stayed quiet so the suspect wouldn’t realize a 911 call had been made. Arriving police broke down the door and rescued the woman. The suspect jumped from a window and fled, but was captured the next day. Read more here.