Los Angeles ( CNN ) -- When Melora Rivera heard an intruder kicking the front door of her Venice , California , home Wednesday morning , her reaction was to jump out of bed and onto her roof . `` Once I saw him in the house , I knew that we both could n't be there , '' Rivera told CNN TV affiliate KCAL/KCBS . `` I knew that I did n't want to have a confrontation with him of any sort , you know , not knowing what his intention was . '' Rivera , dressed only in a flannel shirt , used her cell phone to call police as the intruder also climbed onto the roof . `` The drop is , I would guess , more than 20 feet , '' Rivera said . `` So there was no safely jumping off the roof or coming down from the roof at that point . '' Police arrived in about two minutes , but they only saw Rivera on the roof , Los Angeles Police spokeswoman Sara Faden said . Officers initially were n't sure she was n't the intruder they were called to stop . `` It was my biggest fear was that he was going to be forced by the cops to come hide in basically the same place I was hiding , '' Rivera said . Sandra Bullock came face-to-face with stalker in her home . Home intrusions happen every day and everywhere , but this incident is unusual because several of Rivera 's neighbors watching the drama used their cell phones to capture photos and video of the unfolding drama . One especially striking image shows Rivera huddled under an eave with her phone to her ear while the intruder lurks just above . Other photos show police with guns drawn , ready to protect the woman if the intruder attacks . Rivera was finally rescued from the roof with a Los Angeles Fire Department ladder . Police eventually coaxed the intruder down , placing him in handcuffs and charging him with burglary . Officer Faden identified him as Christian Hicks , 29 . Keanu Reeves ' home proves to be a magnet for female intruders . CNN 's Dottie Evans contributed to this report .
Carmen Rivera was dressed in only a flannel shirt as she returned to her home . Police were n't sure at first that Rivera was n't the intruder . A photographer snapped a dramatic picture of Rivera huddled as the intruder neared . A 29-year - old man was captured and charged with murder .