A Brownsville teen experienced the most terrifying moments of her life Sunday afternoon as she hid in a closet while three men kicked in the door and ransacked he parents apartment, said the girl's mother.

As soon as the three men left, the 17-year-old called 911 and provided a detailed description of the burglars, who were caught shortly after, and then went with police to personally identify them, said police spokesman Sgt. Jimmy Manrrique.

Jose Flores, 27, Ismael Flores, 25, and Gonzalo Salazar, 22, where charged with burglary of habitation and engaging in organized criminal activity, Manrrique said.

The burglary took place about 4:30 p.m. Sunday at the 2000 block of Johnson Street when Maria Elena Martinez, the victim's mother, took her other two daughters to the Brownsville Public Library.

"We had gone to the library and she wanted to stay behind," Martinez said.

About 30 minutes later, the teen heard loud knocking on the door and when she peeked through a window, she saw a strange white vehicle parked rear end first in the driveway, the mother said.

"Then she heard the door being kicked in and went to jump out of the window but saw that there was a man still in the car, so she ran into the (walk-in) closet," Martinez said.

Huddled under the bottom rack and covered in clothes, the 17-year-old tried to control her fear in order to stop shaking as the men went through the house looking for valuables, the mother said.

"I can't believe she was able to hide and keep her cool," Martinez said. "I wouldn't have been able to do that. I would have screamed. I'm so thankful they didn't find her. I don't want to think what they could have done to her."

After approximately 15 minutes, the men left the house giving the teen a chance to run for the kitchen and dial 911.

"The female called and said they had burglarized her parent's apartment and they had just left in a white vehicle," Manrrique said. "They were spotted in a white Dodge Intrepid and stopped in the vicinity 28th and Roosevelt streets. The suspects matched the description given by the victim."

As police officers spoke with the men, they noticed the men appeared to be very nervous and were sweating profusely, the spokesman said.

The driver didn't have a driver's license on him and a subsequent search turned up a various ID showing the address of the burglarized home and belonging to the Martinez family, Manrrique said.

The three men were arrested and taken to a municipal jail pending magistration by a municipal judge.

Ildefonso Ortiz is a reporter for The Brownsville Herald.