Police: 3 Masked Men Tie Up Homeowners In Greenwich, Make Off With Cash, Jewelry

GREENWICH, Conn. (CBSNewYork) -- Masked men stormed into a residence in Greenwich, Connecticut, and tied up a couple before stealing their safe, in a terrifying home invasion late Monday.

As CBS2's Lou Young reported, police were searching Tuesday for the three suspects, who they said got in through an unlocked door.

The robbery happened shortly after 10 p.m. Monday in a brick house on Ridge Street in in central Greenwich.

The victims were a wealthy middle-aged couple who lived in the home. They were physically unharmed, but psychologically rattled, by the sudden appearance of robbers in their house Monday night.

Police said the husband and wife had gone to bed without locking their door or activating their alarm system. About 15 minutes later, the couple awoke and found the robbers carrying crowbars in second-story hallway outside the master bedroom, police said.

"They were asleep," Lt. Kraig Gray told CBS2's Young. "The wife heard a noise and as the husband went to investigate, he was immediately confronted by three subjects on the second floor."

The men tied up the couple, and then stole thousands of dollars in cash and jewelry from the family safe, police said. By the time police arrived, the suspects were long gone.

Police believe the thieves targeted the home, and were prepared to break in, but the open door gave them a lucky break.

Police also believe the thieves cased the stately home ahead of time, and picked it because they knew the family was wealthy.

"At this point, I think we can say it was not a crime of opportunity, but the location was probably targeted," Gray said.

Neighbors said the area is considered remarkably safe.

"We've never had an incident like this that I know of," said neighbor Rick Kendall.

Kendall added he was not surprised that the couple did not lock their doors, because, "nothing ever happens here."

Neighbor Hector Ruiz said that perception amounts to a false sense of security.

"You start getting into the sense that things are OK, you know, five minutes the door's open, it's not a big deal," he said.

Still, Capt. Mark Kordick, commander of the Greenwich Police Detective Division, said a home invasion of this type is "very rare in Greenwich."

"The violation of the sanctity of someone home is a significant crime and one which our department takes extremely seriously. This will be a priority investigation for the division," Kordick said in a statement.

Police describe the suspects as black men in their late 20s or early 30s with athletic builds and average heights. They were wearing partial masks and dark clothing.

The home is actually just a few blocks from the local police station. Police Tuesday afternoon were checking to see if there was a pattern of targeted home break-ins in neighboring communities along the Fairfield-Westchester county line.

Anyone with any information is asked to contact the Greenwich Police Department Investigative Tipline at (203) 622-3333 or (800) 372-1176 or by email at tips@greenwichct.org.

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