A Fayetteville burglary suspect accused of taking a pregnant woman and her two kids hostage Tuesday (Nov. 5) had his first court appearance Friday (Nov. 8).
According to reports, two men heard the woman scream and kicked open the door in an effort to help, at Grandview Apartments. Michael Pohl and Joshua Smith said they never thought they would go through something like this.
But they tell 5NEWS, they’re happy they did.
“Well, when I showed up, he’s telling me that a dude has her locked in the house and won’t let her out and no one else is in there, but her babies and her,” said Pohl.
Smith said, “I happened to see her in the window, and I heard kids screaming. That caught my attention, so I walked over to the window, and I couldn’t understand a word she said.”
Pohl and Smith, who happened to be just visiting friends at the apartment complex in south Fayetteville, ran up the stairs to Sabrina Hamilton’s unit.
They knocked the door down and the suspect fled.
“I turned around and jolted out the door. A girl tried to stop me, but I told her I had to do it---he’s going to get away and do it to someone else,” said Pohl.
He ran out down the stairs, and the race was on. A neighbor called 911 and police arrived.
Forty-four-year-old Christopher Corbitt was found a short time later, armed with a knife and unwilling to comply with officers, according to a preliminary report from the Washington County Prosecutor's Office.
A Taser was used to subdue Corbitt, who was then arrested.
Hamilton is five months pregnant and did not get injured. Her two young children were also unharmed.
Pohl and Smith were slightly injured during the incident. Hamilton’s neighbors are calling them local heroes.
“I mean, I just did what any real man would do,” Pohl said.
“No, just glad I was there at the right time,” Smith said.
The two men didn’t know one another until Tuesday and are now becoming friends.
As for the suspect, he made his first appearance Friday in the Washington County Circuit Court. His arraignment is set for Dec. 4.