Two homes hit by intruders

Friday, Oct. 10, 2003 | 9:33 a.m.

Metro Police are investigating two separate home invasions that occurred early Thursday morning on opposite sides of town, but with similar suspects.

"The two events are possibly related," Metro Sgt. Rick Barela said.

An 18-year-old Las Vegas man, who was arrested Thursday allegedly driving a stolen car, may be a suspect in the home invasions, police said. They weren't saying Thursday how they are linking the man to the two robberies.

The first one, near Spring Mountain and Fort Apache roads, was at the home of two women, one of them 81 years old, that occurred about 2:40 a.m., Metro Police Sgt. Rick Barela said.

Coetta Carter, 54, had opened the garage door to put out the trash in the 3500 block of Judah Way when she was confronted by two men, one of them holding a handgun, Barela said.

They knocked her down onto the garage floor and forced their way into the house, where 81-year-old Gloria Ehrenzweig was also knocked down, Barela said.

"I couldn't believe my eyes when those stupid kids came into my house," Ehrenzweig said.

After they knocked Ehrenzweig down, the two men stole the women's purses with their keys to the house and car, Ehrenzweig said.

"Nothing like this has ever happened in this neighborhood," said Ehrenzweig, who has lived in the neighborhood for nine years. "I'm still in shock."

Carter's arm is in a sling and Ehrenzweig was bruised during the robbery. Paramedics treated both women at their home.

In the second home invasion, a woman was returning home from work about 6 a.m. Thursday when two men confronted her outside her home in the 4700 block of Mahogany Drive near Nellis and Charleston boulevards, Barela said.

They forced her to let them into her house and stole a small amount of cash, Barela said.