Older women targets of home-invasion robbery duo

Cathy Scott

Wednesday, April 8, 1998 | 10:07 a.m.

Older women driving luxury cars have become targets of home-invasion robberies by two men working together, police say.

The latest such robbery occurred Friday night. The first one was about two weeks ago, Metro Police robbery Sgt. Lori Crickett said.

Two robberies occurred at The Lakes in southwestern Las Vegas and a third took place at Summerlin in western Las Vegas, Detective Tony Plew said. No one was injured, he said.

The women, who all drove expensive cars, were followed on Sahara Avenue to their homes between 8 p.m. and 2 a.m., Crickett said.

Investigators believe the two men targeted the women with binoculars, then followed them home. The men crept into the women's garages before the doors closed and ambushed them at gunpoint, police said.

Then they ransacked their homes, Crickett said.

"They spend an enormous amount of time in the homes," she said. "We've had them spend up to an hour and a half in the homes. That is an unusual amount of time."

And it's not just jewelry they're looking for, Crickett said.

"They literally go through everything in the homes, dump out all the drawers and put it into a big pile and carry it out," she said. "They take just about everything. They take clothing. They take jewelry. They take small appliances like VCRs. They've even taken an entire safe."

One suspect is described as a black man, 5 feet 11 inches tall, weighing 150 to 160 pounds and in his early 20s, police said. The other suspect is described as a black man, 5 feet 7 inches tall, in his 30s with a gold earring in his left ear. They both wear knitted ski caps and gloves during the robberies, police said.

One man was armed with a semi-automatic handgun; the other with a 4-inch barrel revolver.

Plew said he's hoping by making the cases high-profile that "we'll get them to stop."

Last year there were 15 similar robberies in the same areas. No suspects were ever caught, Plew said.

Meanwhile, North Las Vegas Police have yet to catch the gunmen who terrorized six people in an apartment early Tuesday, busting through the front door and stealing valuable possessions.

Authorities said the occupants of the apartment near Carey Avenue and Donna Street awoke about 4 a.m. and were tied up by the thieves, who then ransacked the place while stealing numerous items including a television, videocassette recorder and computer.

Police said the victims were traumatized but not seriously hurt.