Violent Staten Island home invasion caught on video
NEW YORK -- Police are investigating a home invasion armed robbery on Staten Island that ended with a family being attacked, including a 5-year-old girl.
Some relatives and family friends spoke to CBS New York on Tuesday about the shocking crime in Manor Heights.
Video captured the sound of a door being kicked in, giving four masked man access to the single-family home near the corner of Livingston Avenue and Queens Street at around 1 a.m. on Monday.
The husband had left the home earlier, so the men were inside with the wife, two young children, and a live-in nanny. Family members said the men insisted they turn over the contents of a safe, but the victims said there was no safe.
One woman described how the men, who are seen on the footage creeping down a hallway, decided to force information out of the 5-year-old daughter.
"Imagine a child wakes up with a gun to her face, being dragged by her hair," the woman said. "It's going to take a while to get back to herself and get rid of the trauma."
Levi Leifer is the director Shmira Public Safety.
"They kept on saying while they were in the house, 'Cash, cash, where is the jewels? Where is the cash?' as they were hitting the mother and the kids," Leifer said. "They were sleeping, pulling out a 5-year-old in the middle of their sleep, waking up with a gun overhead, dragging her to the mother's room. It's terrible."
Investigators are processing the evidence and searching for the suspects. Reward money for information has been offered.
"The reward of $10,000 with any anonymous tip that will lead to the arrest by the NYPD for these perpetrators," Leifer said. "Turn every stone over to make sure these individuals are brought to justice."
The mother, who is 33 years old, was cut and bruised. She was briefly hospitalized and came home with stiches. Her 5-year-old has bruises on her face.
The girl's 4-year-old brother and the 54-year-old live-in nanny were not physically injured.
Police said the house was specifically targeted, but added the attackers got away with only a cellphone.
Anyone with any information is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). You can also submit a tip via their website or via DM on Twitter, @NYPDTips. All calls are kept confidential.
