Woman Who Escaped Intruder By Climbing Onto Roof Went On To Produce A 96% Rated Netflix Hit
By fypfeed in Movies & TV — 11th August 2025
The show has been praised by viewers for its unique approach and captivating storytelling, however the story of the producer’s past could be more compelling.
A woman whose terrifying escape from an intruder at home became the talk of the town after being photographed under her roof. She became a producer on a top-rated Netflix series. The story that once was a source of fear, has now transformed into one of astonishing perseverance and professional achievement.
Four years after that night of terror she created 20 episodes of the hit television show that received rave praise from critics and audiences alike.
It all started back in September of 2014 in the year 2014, when Melora Rivera was confronted with a terrifying situation in the Venice, California home. A burglar smashed through the front of her home, causing her to have just a few seconds to react and find a way defend herself.
The panicked woman was thinking fast the woman climbed from a window and rushed to her roof in order to escape. But in a shocking turn the intruder managed to climb onto the roof too -the image was later shared on social media when it surfaced on the internet.
“He managed to break one of the panels and reach in to unlock the door,” she said to CBS News when recalling the incident. “Once I saw him inside, I knew we both couldn’t be there.”
While holding her phone tight and tightly, she dialed 911. the man – who was later identified to be Christian Hicks, homeless person reported to be suffering from depression — locked in on her location.
Rivera was able to squeeze herself into an eave that was narrow and hoped to keep him from finding her hidden place.
“The drop was more than 20 feet,” she explained, describing the extreme danger she experienced. “There was no safely coming down.”
The police were on the scene in only two minutes which allowed firefighters aid Rivera get safely off the roof. A passer-by, Alexandria Thompson, saw Hicks in handcuffs, and claimed that he was in her backyard the previous day. Although he was detained, Hicks was released when witnesses were unable to provide his name in relation to the robbery.
Since since then, Rivera has used her voice to emphasize the need for greater support for homeless people and mental health issuesinsisting that better care can safeguard vulnerable individuals as well as the entire community.
Four years after the night, she made an enormous leap in her career into acting and becoming a producer for a show which would later be a huge successes on Netflix.
The show, called Black Lightning, was developed by Salim Akil. It premiered at The CW from the year 2018 until 2021. The show then found a second home on Netflix which has attracted new viewers from all over the world.
The series scored an astonishing rating of 92 percent Rotten Tomatoes rating throughout the four seasons, with the debut season achieving even more impressive score of 96 percent.
The story revolves around Jefferson Pierce, who is played by Cress Williams who plays an administrator at a high school who lived a double life as an vigilante hero. After stepping back to protect his family members but he’s reintroduced back to the combat when a gang of criminals attacks his family and friends.
In possession of the remarkable capability to harness and manage electric power, Pierce once again becomes the hero city requires, risking everything to protect the people he cares about the most.
The series was praised by critics for its mix of action-packed superheroes and real-world social commentaries.
According to the Rotten Tomatoes consensus is: “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 described the show for being “unique, exciting, and smart,” and another said: “I gotta admit it sucked me in like nobody’s business. ” Another fan posted: “Huge fan of this series. Every episode unveils another layer to a complex story that keeps getting better and better, every week. “
Today all the seasons from Black Lightning are accessible to stream through Netflix for viewers in the United States and ITVX for viewers in the UK.
