She kicked him out, but he came back and held her against her will. An alarm brought help

The Marjaree Mason Center and the Fresno Police Department on Thursday were honored with $5,000 contributions by the ADT alarm company for both organizations’ part in the rescue of a Fresno woman who was being abused and held hostage by her live-in boyfriend.

The rescued Fresno woman, Katie Anderson, spoke at Thursday’s ceremony, which took place in front of the Marjaree Mason Center in downtown Fresno. Marjaree Mason Center provides emergency and longer-term safe housing, plus support services for victims of domestic violence in Fresno County.

Anderson praised police for arriving within four minutes on March 14 after she used her remote alarm to call for rescuers. Anderson said that a week earlier, she told her boyfriend to leave her home, but he began stalking her and returned to attack her. She was held against her will when she used the remote alarm.

The call was routed through ADT’s Irving, Texas, center after Anderson told ADT dispatchers that she was in fear for her life.

“You better say everything’s OK,” the boyfriend can be heard saying on the ADT tape as Anderson speaks with dispatchers.

Anderson said it took all her courage to say that no, it was not.

Five ADT workers who took part in sending the officers also received awards at the ceremony.

Fresno police Chief Jerry Dyer, also at the event, said his detectives will investigate 8,400 cases of domestic violence this year and there are many more incidents that go unreported because family members believe things will get better. They won’t, he said.

“Within the first seven days, the abuser will return,” he said, and the abuse will escalate.

This story was originally published June 8, 2017 at 1:49 PM with the headline "She kicked him out, but he came back and held her against her will. An alarm brought help."