'I'm Still Shocked:' Teen Victim Speaks Out As Police Search For Suspects In Attempted Queens Home Invasion
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Police have released surveillance video of suspects who they say are wanted in an attempted home invasion in Hollis, Queens.
It happened Sunday afternoon at a house on 100th Avenue and 197th Street.
Thirteen-year-old Sanjay Persaud had no idea of the deceiving delivery danger lurking outside his house. A day after the ordeal, he says his heart is still racing.
"I'm still shocked," he told CBS2's Janelle Burrell in an exclusive interview. "My heart is beating. Somehow or someway, I'll get it out of my mind hopefully and calm down."
The entire family was home when police said a hooded man walked up to the front door of their house at 100th Avenue and 197th Street and knocked.
"Said he had a package for us, I called my dad over," the teen said.
"My son was going to open the door. I said, 'no way' and ran to the door, I looked at the package and the name doesn't match up," his father, Thakur Persaud, said. "And the person tried to push me in the house and I kicked him as hard as I could and I pushed him out."
It happened so quickly, Sanjay says he barely had time to react.
"I wanted to kick him but my dad pushed me out of the way for my own safety," he said.
Their home security camera captured the struggle between his dad and the suspect. Seconds later, police said shots were fired by another suspect lurking outside. The weapon turned out to be a BB gun, but the elder Persaud was hit in the thigh.
Police said together with a third accomplice, the trio drove off in a dark-colored Nissan Maxima with South Dakota plates.
— NYPD 103rd Precinct (@NYPD103Pct) November 20, 2017
Meanwhile, Sanjay is relieved and appreciative of his dad's intuition that saved him.
"I respected him for that and I thank him," he said. "I hope they get arrested, I really do."
The Persaud family says their home was broken into back in March. In that case, they said the thieves got away with jewelry and cash and is what led the family to buy the surveillance cameras.
Police are also looking into a possible link between Sunday's incident and another home invasion last week in Bayside.
Anyone with information is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline at 800-577-TIPS or for Spanish 1-888-57-PISTA (74782), visit www.nypdcrimestoppers.com or text tips to 274637(CRIMES) then enter TIP577.