CASTLE POINT, Mo. — A mother used her iPhone’s emergency call feature to foil a group of armed robbers. Several men are now in jail facing charges for robbery, burglary, and armed criminal action following a violent home invasion in St. Louis County.
According to police reports, the suspects, Dennis Miller, Derrick Anthony, and Jaquan Jackson, were wearing masks and carrying guns when they showed up at the victim’s home on Sunday. One of them knocked on the door and demanded to speak to her son. The men threatened to kill her when she told them he was not home. They were upset because they believed Miller was the target of a burglary.
Police say that the men pushed the woman back into the home. They tried to force her to send them money through Apple Pay, but she was actually using the emergency call button to alert police. They grabbed her phone when she tried to call for help and ran when they heard police sirens.
Officers found Miller a short time later at his nearby home. He was still wearing a ski mask, and police found a Glock 20 handgun on his couch. They also found her phone with a broken screen in the backyard.
Anthony and Jackson were also in the home and placed under arrest. They also had ski masks on them, and officers located Anthony’s weapon.
Miller has a prior conviction for resisting arrest. Prosecutors have requested a $300,000 cash-only bond. Anthony is being held on a $500,000 bond and Jackson is being held on a $300,000 bond.