Neighbor John Nardone told Freedom News TV he saw the father running from the home with duct tape on his face and “Called 911 right away.” He said the father was extremely “rattled.” Nardone had to get to work but wanted to be sure police were on the way before he left.
“I was wondering if this was real because of that,” Nardone said. “I’ve never seen something like that, like a guy come out of his house with duct tape all over his face.”
Per the New York Post , the thieves allegedly stole $16,000, jewelry, and electronics before taking off in the family’s minivan. Police found the silver Chrysler abandoned a few blocks away.
Emergency responders took the family to a nearby hospital for evaluation, ABC 7 reported, but no one suffered serious injuries.
Councilwoman Vickie Paladino released a statement about the home invasion. The Republican politician said officials suspect it was a targeted attack and encouraged residents to protect themselves.
“I want to remind my constituents that New Yorkers have a constitutional right to protect themselves,” Paladino shared in the statement.
“I urge my constituents to avail themselves of their rights under the Second Amendment; my office is always available to assist constituents with obtaining firearm permits for premises or concealed carry,” she wrote.
Anyone with information should call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or, for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782).
