Riverside woman held at gunpoint amid spike in home invasions

Two armed robbers held a Riverside woman at gunpoint adding to a growing string of similar home invasions.

"These are true, legitimate victims who are at their homes doing nothing to solicit this type of criminal activity at their house when these suspects come in violently and rob them," said Riverside police officer Ryan Railsback. 

In this latest robbery, two armed suspects, arriving about an hour apart, could be seen on security video breaking into the woman's home before holding her at gunpoint and robbing her. 

In the past month, three home invasions have happened nearby on April 10, May 10 and May 17. In last Sunday's home invasion on Moss Road the suspects shot the homeowner. The similarities between the break-ins have prompted police to investigate if these robberies are connected. 

"Criminals don't just stay within the borders of a jurisdiction," said Railsback. "They'll move throughout those."

Investigators are also looking into another home invasion that happened farther out in Riverside County in Perris on Wednesday morning. However, there is no evidence tying that case to the four cases in Riverside City. 

"It has to make everyone more alert and more protective," said resident Haythan Ibrhim. 

Ibrahim and other residents also speculated why certain families were targeted and hope people can identify the suspects to stop it from happening again.

"I thought it looked like they knew what they were doing and they were targeting someone specific," he said. 

Riverside police have bolstered patrols in the area in response to the robberies.