Family Of 14 Held At Gunpoint While 2 Intruders Ransacked Their House

Two men in ski masks broke into a Maryland residence and held a family of 14, including a three-year-old, at gunpoint while they ransacked the house and robbed their belongings.

The brazen theft took place at around 1 a.m. Saturday, when the family members were celebrating a birthday inside the home on Shaver Street, according to the Salisbury Police Department. The family included 10 adults and four children, aged between three and 52 years old, Salisbury Post reported.

The victims told police they heard noises at the front door before the two burglars barged into the house. They were reportedly wearing ski masks, jeans, and jackets, and at least one of them was carrying a gun.

"There were four kicks into the door before they broke it down," one of the residents said, as per WBTV. "We had family in the living room since they were staying over for a birthday party and they were held at gunpoint."

While one of them forced the family to stay in the living room, the other searched the house and destroyed a number of items. The two intruders were heard shouting "dinero," Spanish for money.

"They (the intruders) went into a second room, two adults were there with two children, a 6 and a 3-year-old. They (family members) tried to keep them (the intruders) to like not go into the room, that's when they realized the gun was aiming towards the kids, and that's when they (family members) complied and stepped out," one of the houseguests explained.

The burglars eventually took a pair of shoes, an Apple laptop, and $200 in cash, according to police. No family member was injured in the incident.

Another male member of the family called 911 at around 6 a.m. when he returned home. Police believe that the delay in communication was due to cultural or language barriers, Salisbury Post added.

Rowan County Sheriff's Office took the help of a K-9 to search the house during the investigation. No suspects were arrested as of Monday.

Meanwhile, residents living nearby said they were being extra cautious after the burglary.

"You want to be able to feel safe in your own home and if something like that happens with people when they're at home, that's scary," Hannah Bell, a Salisbury resident, told WSOC-TV.

Salisbury Police asked people with any information regarding the home invasion to contact the department at 704-638-5333 or Salisbury-Rowan Crime Stoppers at 866-639-5245.