Home invaders tie victims, steal cars

Jen Lawson

Friday, Aug. 22, 2003 | 11:25 a.m.

Three masked men broke into a house on a quiet cul-de-sac early Thursday morning, tied up the residents and made off with a Mercedes-Benz and a pickup truck, Metro Police said.

The home invasion robbery occurred about 6:15 a.m. on My Dream Court, near Torrey Pines Drive and Flamingo Road.

Las Vegas averages about 15 home invasions a month, but "this one was a little bit different," Officer Jose Montoya, spokesman for Metro Police, said.

A more typical home invasion would be suspects who burst into a house and threaten the occupants while grabbing property, such as a television, then run, Montoya said.

In Thursday's incident, the robbers were armed and tied up their victims, he said, "It was a very violent robbery. It was well-planned -- they were wearing masks ... We don't see that every day."

The homeowner called 911 just after 6:45 a.m. and said he and his 22-year-old nephew had just untied themselves, Montoya said.

According to police, three men forced their way into a back door of the one-story, three-bedroom house, tied up the occupants and ransacked the house. One had a gun.

The trio stole four guns, jewelry, wallets, passports, checkbooks and two vehicles: A black 1997 Mercedes-Benz E 420 and a white 1997 Dodge Ram pickup truck.

No shots were fired during the robbery, and the victims weren't injured, Montoya said. No arrest have been made.

Angela Amrose, 37, has lived on the cul-de-sac of single-story homes for seven years and said she was surprised to hear that her neighbor had been robbed.

"It's a very safe, quiet place," she said. "I am shocked."

Amrose saw the police cars outside Nelson's home early this morning but assumed they were there because of tagging on a wall outside the victim's home.

The neighbors on the cul-de-sac are very close, she said.

"It's really a nice area," Amrose said, adding that most residents drive luxury cars and have swimming pools.

As long as she has lived there she hasn't heard of any crimes such as this. However, she said she complained to the city recently because the street light was out, leaving the neighborhood dark at night.

Nelson's neighbor across the street said she also was surprised to hear of a robbery in her neighborhood. She has lived there for six years.

The 62-year-old woman, who did not want to give her name, said she has an alarm on her home and makes sure to set it every night.

As for any other precautions, she said, "What else can you do?"

Home invasions are robberies in which a suspect or suspects force their way into the victim's homes, they use violence or threats of violence to overpower occupants in order to steal money, property or both.

The elderly and residents who speak English as a second language are particularly vulnerable to home invasions, police said.

In June, Metro Police arrested 18 people believed to be responsible for more than 80 violent home invasion robberies and carjackings in northeast Las Vegas that occurred between March and May. The bandits, which were members of three unrelated crime rings, targeted those believed to be in the drug trade.

Police said the arrests didn't signal the end of the crime rings. It's not clear if Wednesday's home invasion is connected to the others.

Residents should be aware of people around them, police said and not open their door for people they don't know, even during the day.

Sun reporter Malia Spencer contributed to this story.