Retired Officer’s Home Broken Into, Elderly Woman Sexually Assaulted, 2 Arrested

Two of the three armed robbers accused of breaking into a New York home, sexually assaulting an elderly woman and slashing her husband — a retired New York Police Department (NYPD) lieutenant — in the face with a box cutter were apprehended Monday night.

The two suspects were identified as Lance Jyrkinen, 20, and Shirnel Sobers, 25. They were arrested just outside the Brooklyn side of the Hugh L. Carey Tunnel with a vehicle stolen from the couple, following a police chase near the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel.

The incident happened early Monday when three persons broke into the Brooklyn home in the vicinity of Madison Place and Avenue R at around 5.30 a.m. EDT. According to reports, the 71-year-old woman and the 72-year-old man were sleeping in separate bedrooms as the incident unfolded.

The trio woke up the couple and demanded cash and jewelry from them. “If you say anything you’re dead,” they reportedly told the couple.

The retired police officer refused and one of the intruders slashed him across his left cheek with a box cutter, according to a report in the New York Post. Another report said they also hit the elderly man in the head with an unknown object. The elderly woman was tied up with duct tape, and one of the thieves sexually assaulted her.

The man, who was not bound, grabbed a .38 caliber handgun after which the thieves left the scene. The trio stole a handgun from the house and fled in the couple’s 2012 blue Honda sedan in an unknown direction. Emergency medical services took both the victims to Maimonides Medical Center, a report in the Yeshiva World News said.

Police tracked down the stolen car using a license plate reader. The suspects were charged with attempted murder, assault, burglary, grand larceny and criminal possession of a weapon, reported News 12 Brooklyn.

According to the police, the third suspect is about 6 feet tall and was last seen wearing a black do-rag and dark clothing. The search for him was still ongoing. Police released surveillance footage of the man.

The son of the victim was at home at the time of the incident and is being treated as a witness, reports said adding he was “a troublemaker.”

This was the third break-in at the same house since July, but it was not clear if the robbery attempts were connected.

Anyone with any information related to the incident was asked to call NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). Tips can also be submitted online at www.nypdcrimestoppers.com or text it to 274637 and also to (Crimes) TIP577.