Man to get six years in prison after eight-year-old's call to 911

A man is to receive six years in prison in connection to an attack where the victim’s 8-year-old child called 911, yelled for the man to stop the attack and narrated it to dispatchers, the Schenectady County District Attorney’s office said.

Melchizedek “Mel” Williams, 24, of Schenectady, pleaded guilty Tuesday to second-degree attempted burglary, a felony, and fourth-degree criminal mischief, a misdemeanor.

Williams was accused of remaining in a residence Dec. 26 after being told to leave. While inside, he choked and struck the victim and damaged her television, prosecutors said.

The victim’s four children witnessed the incident and the 8-year-old called police and described the attack to dispatchers, prosecutors said.

Prosecutor John Carson called the girl “among the bravest” he’s met. She called police in full view of Williams and let him know it.

“She actually yelled to the attacker to leave her mother alone and told the attacker she was calling police to get help,” Carson said.

To dispatchers, she narrated the attack play by play and gave a description that police used to catch up to Williams two hours later, Carson said.

“The four-and-a-half minute 911 call is chilling in the rawness of the emotion of an 8-year-old child having to call seeking police help to protect her mother,” Carson said.

Williams and the mother had a brief relationship and prosecutors argued that Williams’ jealousy and inability to handle the end of that relationship served as the motive behind the crime.

Carson also credited district attorney Investigator Paul Steele with locating two additional witnesses to portions of the incident that did not come forward earlier. That new information helped solidify the case and lead to Williams’ plea on the eve of trial.

Williams is to be sentenced Dec. 8. He was represented by attorney Steven X. Kouray. Judge Louise Sira presided.

Reach Gazette reporter Steven Cook at 395-3122, [email protected] or @ByStevenCook on Twitter.