Hollister
– Two Hollister teens are shaken, but safe, after being victims
in a tense home invasion robbery Thursday afternoon during which
two suspects broke into their home and, at gunpoint, stole
thousands of dollars’ worth of jewelry.
Hollister – Two Hollister teens are shaken, but safe, after being victims in a tense home invasion robbery Thursday afternoon during which two suspects broke into their home and, at gunpoint, stole thousands of dollars’ worth of jewelry.
Shortly after 2pm Thursday two suspects, described by the victims as Hispanic males, broke into a home on the 100 block of McCray Street, interrupting two teenagers playing video games, according to Hollister Police Officer Rosie Betanio. The suspects pointed a black semi-automatic pistol at the two teens and ordered them to “go into the bedroom and don’t make any noise,” Betanio said.
The teens entered the bedroom and closed the door while the suspects rifled through drawers, stealing about $2,200 worth of jewelry and nearly $900 worth of cash, Betanio said. The suspects were interrupted shortly after the initial break-in when an aunt of one of the teens came home, entering through a back door.
Police did not identify the victims because they are minors. The suspects ordered the aunt, also not identified, to tell them where she kept her jewelry. After she told them she didn’t have any jewelry, the suspects fled in a burgundy Honda sedan, Betanio said. After the men left, the aunt called police. Officers arrived at the home shortly after the suspects fled to find the victims “visibly upset,” but otherwise unharmed, according to Betanio. It is unclear how long the teens were detained by the robbers.
Police are investigating to see if the suspects were involved in a similar home invasion earlier this week in Los Banos. Witnesses in that case described a similar vehicle that had been used, Betanio said. Both suspects are described as being Hispanic males, about 5 feet, 11 inches tall and between 140 and 150 pounds.
The teen victims told police that they had been playing video games when they heard a man approach the home, but continued playing because they did not hear anyone knock on the door.
Police recovered physical evidence from the home, but Betanio declined to give specifics on what was collected.
“We are still investigating at this point, but hopefully something will come from the evidence we have recovered,” she said. “We do not know if this crime is related to a similar incident in Los Banos earlier this week, but we are following up on that as well.”
Betanio urged parents to make sure their children are familiar with dialing 911 and said that when left alone, children should lock doors and be aware of who is coming in and around their homes.
Anyone with information on the crime or the suspects should call the Hollister Police Department at 831-636-4330.
Brett Rowland covers public safety for the Free Lance. He can be reached at 831-637-5566 ext. 330 or
br******@fr***********.com
.
