Police: Armed Men Wearing Masks Threaten Couple Inside Maplewood Home
MAPLEWOOD, N.J. (CBSNewYork) – Police are investigating a home invasion that happened overnight in Maplewood, New Jersey.
A woman called 911 around 3:15 a.m. saying two men armed with guns and wearing masks had broken into her Lombardy Place home and threatened her and her fiancé.
The two masked intruders allegedly put guns to their heads and demanded cash, but her fiancé fought back, CBS2's Tara Jakeway reports.
The victims told police the fiancé was able to wrestle a gun away from the intruders and fire a shot at them.
The suspects ran out through the back door and down Burnett Avenue.
Police believe the suspects got in through a bathroom window. They don't yet know if they were shot in the scuffle.
The tenant received minor injuries and was treated at the scene.
"It's very shocking to hear what's going on, especially in the little town of Maplewood," neighbor Mark Hudson said.
Hudson lives on Burnett Avenue. He says he lives alone and with the men still on the loose, he's worried about his safety.
"I could come home and someone could be in there, so that's very threatening ... Definitely now going to put some more locks on my doors," he said.
"It is scary," neighbor Shay Brooks said.
Brooks moved in next door with her son just a few months ago, but after this incident, she's ready to pack up again.
"I probably will move," she said. "You don't wanna be living in a neighborhood where you don't feel safe."
"It's very sad because I live right down the street and I have children," neighbor Cynthia Etienne said.
Etienne has four children under the age of 12. She now plans to install a security camera at her home.
"Noticed the cop car was here. They had it taped off. I couldn't drive through with my truck, so I'm like what's going on?" neighbor Benito Calcado told CBS2. "There's never anything here. You don't even hear sirens in this neighborhood at all."
"The people that live there – we've never seen out here, anybody upset with anybody or anything like that," neighbor Charles Williams added.
Police say that although the investigation is in the early stages, they do not believe there is any further threat because they believe this was a targeted attack.
Maplewood Police say they did find the suspects' car parked in a nearby lot with false New Jersey plates.
