When a transient kicked down the front door of a Venice Beach woman's home early Wednesday, all she had time to do was grab her cellphone and flee -- onto the roof.

The man not far behind her, she crawled onto the second-story rooftop and, with nowhere left to go, crouched below a window ledge and hid. As the intruder peered over the roofline, she called 911 and waited for officers to arrive.

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All of it was captured by a witness on the ground whose dramatic photos of the incident have since gone viral on social media.

Sleeping in safety of home. Transient that was FI’d already today enters home, follows petrified victim to roof. pic.twitter.com/HGyTDke4MZ — Venice 311 (@Venice311) September 24, 2014

Wearing only a flannel shirt, the woman, identified in a KTLA report as Melora Rivera, can be seen crouching atop the roof in the the 1400 block of Riviera Street.

The man looming over her was identified by Los Angeles police as 29-year-old Christian Hicks. Responding police officers were able to talk him down from the roof shortly before 9:30 a.m., at which point he was arrested.

Firefighters also helped Rivera off the roof.

The incident was apparently so traumatic that neighbors told KTLA Rivera didn't plan to immediately return home because she was too frightened.

Hicks, meanwhile, was in custody on suspicion of burglary, LAPD Officer Liliana Preciado said.

For breaking news in Los Angeles and throughout California, follow @VeronicaRochaLA. She can be reached at veronica.rocha@latimes.com.