The Clark County Sheriff’s Office presented awards of valor to two Granton Elementary school students whose response to a home break-in was “absolutely remarkable,” according to Patrol Sergeant Marty Schwantes.
The surprise awards were presented after the school Christmas program Thursday afternoon to Peter and Anna Kayhart, “In recognition of exceptional valor and courage.”
The pair were both at home with the rest of their sleeping family November 9 when a 28 year-old male suspect unlawfully entered their home and went upstairs, confronting Peter and threatening him. Afterwards, his sister went down the hallway and checked on him. Together they came up with a plan. Anna exited through a second story window and jumped off of the garage roof to run to her grandmother’s house and call law enforcement.
Once officers arrived on scene, Peter advised the deputies on exactly what had happened and gave “excellent” information to allow law enforcement to enter the house and know what they needed to do. The suspect was taken into custody without incident.
“The fact that these two kids acted the way they did and how cool they remained, and what they did – we have not seen adults that would have reacted in a situation like that,” said Schwantes. “We just felt like it was very appropriate, and in our opinion it was necessary, to recognize them for displaying a lot of courage and a lot of valor that night.”
“What you guys did was unbelievable, and I think that should serve as an example to a lot of other people, including adults,” he added.
As the quote on the award says: “Courage is not the absence of fear; it is acting in spite of it.”
