Woman Who Escaped Intruder By Climbing Onto Roof Went On To Produce A 96% Rated Netflix Hit

A woman whose frightening escape from a home intruder made headlines, after she was photographed hiding on her own roof, went on to become a producer for a top-rated Netflix series. Her story, which once sparked fear, has since turned into one of remarkable resilience and professional success.

Four years after that terrifying night, she produced 20 episodes of a hit television drama that earned outstanding reviews from audiences and critics alike.

It all began back in September 2014, when Melora Rivera faced a nightmare at her Venice, California home. An intruder kicked in her front door, leaving her with only moments to react and find a way to protect herself.

Panicked and thinking fast, she climbed out of a window and scrambled onto her roof to get away. But in a truly chilling turn, the intruder made it onto the roof as well — an image that later went viral when it resurfaced online.

"He managed to break one of the panels and reach in to unlock the door." she told CBS News when recalling the ordeal.

"Once I saw him inside, I knew we both couldn't be there."

Holding her phone tightly, she dialed 911 while the man — later identified as Christian Hicks, a homeless individual reported to be struggling with mental illness — closed in on her location.

Rivera squeezed herself under a narrow eave, hoping desperately that he wouldn’t discover her hiding place.

"The drop was more than 20 feet." she added, explaining the sheer danger she felt. "There was no safely coming down."

Melora Rivera was forced to climb on the roof TonyVera

Authorities responded in just two minutes, and firefighters were able to help Rivera safely down from the roof. A bystander, Alexandria Thompson, saw Hicks in handcuffs and claimed he had been in her yard earlier that day. Despite being detained, Hicks was released when a witness declined to identify him in connection to the break-in.

Since then, Rivera has used her voice to highlight the urgent need for more resources to address homelessness and mental health issues — stressing that better support can protect both vulnerable individuals and the community at large.

Four years after surviving that night, she took a huge professional leap, becoming an actress and producer on a series that would go on to find massive success on Netflix.

The show is streaming in its entirety on Netflix The CW

The series earned an impressive 92 percent Rotten Tomatoes score across all four seasons, with its debut season scoring an even higher 96 percent.

The plot centers on Jefferson Pierce, played by Cress Williams — a high school principal who once lived a double life as a vigilante hero. Having stepped away to shield his loved ones, he’s drawn back into action when a dangerous gang targets his family and community.

Armed with the extraordinary ability to harness and control electricity, Pierce once again becomes the hero his city needs, risking everything to safeguard the people he cares about most.

The show, titled Black Lightning, was created by Salim Akil. It first aired on The CW from 2018 to 2021, and later found a second life on Netflix, where it attracted new fans worldwide.

The Rotten Tomatoes critics’ consensus says: "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 viewer praised the show as “unique, exciting, and smart,” while another admitted: "I gotta admit it sucked me in like nobody's business."

A third fan wrote: "Huge fan of this series. Every episode unveils another layer to a complex story that keeps getting better and better, every week."

Today, all four seasons of Black Lightning are available to stream on Netflix in the United States and ITVX for viewers in the UK.