Topics: Netflix, Streaming, Film and TV, US News, California, Rotten Tomatoes
A woman who was forced to hide from a home intruder on her roof in terrifying viral images went on to produce a hit Netflix show.
Four years on from the ordeal, she went on to produce 20 episodes for the TV series, which racked up incredible reviews.
Back in September 2014, Melora Rivera was left terrified after an intruder kicked down the front door of her Venice, California home.
Startled, she climbed out of a window and onto the roof to escape. Only, the intruder ended up on the roof too, in chilling images which have resurfaced recently.
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“He managed to break one of the panels and reach in to unlock the door,” she told CBS News at the time.
“Once I saw him inside, I knew we both couldn’t be there.”
Grabbing her phone, she called 911 as the intruder - later identified as 'mentally ill' homeless man Christian Hicks - pursued her.
Rivera hid under an eave, terrified he might end up hiding in the same spot.
“The drop was more than 20 feet,” she added. “There was no safely coming down.”
Police arrived within two minutes and the fire brigade helped Rivera off the roof. Bystander Alexandria Thompson saw Hicks in handcuffs and claimed he’d been in her yard earlier that day. Though he was detained, Hicks was released after a witness declined to ID him.
Since the incident, Rivera has spoken about the growing homelessness crisis and the need for better support for those suffering from mental illness - both to protect vulnerable individuals and the wider community.
Four years later, the actress and producer went on to make 20 episodes of a hit The CW series, which is now streaming on Netflix.
The show has been awarded an impressive 92 percent Rotten Tomatoes score across all four of its seasons, while its first is rated 96 percent.
The superhero drama follows high school principal Jefferson Pierce (Cress Williams), a retired crime fighter who stepped back to shield his family from the dangers of his double life. But he's pulled back into action when a ruthless gang threatens his daughters and community.
With his ability to harness and manipulate electricity, Pierce returns to the streets to protect his city and the people he loves.
This series in question is called Black Lightning. Created by Salim Akil, the show originally aired on The CW from 2018 to 2021, and now lives on Netflix, where it gained renewed attention.
The Rotten Tomatoes consensus reads: "Black Lightning doesn't reinvent superhero TV, but it does give the genre a necessary jolt with real-world plots, scary new villains, and a star-making performance from Cress Williams."
One fan agreed reckoned it was 'unique, exciting, and smart,' as a second confessed: "I gotta admit it sucked me in like nobody's business."
A third wrote: "Huge fan of this series. Every episode unveils another layer to a complex story that keeps getting better and better, every week."
All four seasons of Black Lightning are streaming now on Netflix US and ITVX in the UK.
