Second Home Invasion in Fairfield in Less Than a Week

Following in which three suspects forcibly entered a Park Avenue home, "manhandling" the elderly couple who live there and stealing cash and jewelry, Fairfield Police are investigating another home invasion that took place on Saturday, Sept. 24, at a residence on Lenox Road.

Fairfield Police said although the two incidents share some of the same characteristics — for example in both cases there were three suspects who forced their way through a door of the residence — they don’t think they are related. However they said Saturday’s home invasion might be a “copycat” crime.

In the most recent incident, the homeowner told police he heard his front doorbell ring shortly before midnight — however before he could get to the door, three men forcibly opened it and entered the home, confronting the homeowner and his three guests, including two males and a female, in his living room.

The homeowner told police that one of the men — described as a black male, about 6 feet tall, 275 pounds, with dreadlocks, wearing a red baseball cap, dark jeans and a dark hooded sweatshirt — said “Where’s the money? Give me the money,” and implied he had a handgun.

Police said the suspect assaulted the female guest who was visiting the homeowner, grabbing her by the throat. Police said the suspect stole the female’s purse and cell phone. Police said when officers arrived the female had a red mark on her neck, however she declined medical treatment.

The suspects reportedly searched the residence, but did not find any cash.

The other two suspects were described as black males, one about 5 feet 4 inches tall with a scruffy beard and the other about 6 feet tall with a slim, muscular build. No other descriptions were given.

The homeowner told police the three suspects left the area on foot. Police said although it appears the suspects are unknown to the homeowner they might be known to one or more of the three guests who were at the residence that evening. Police said only the female guest was robbed and no one else was injured.

In incident, police said the suspects — three or four men, possibly Hispanic — broke into a home where a couple in their 80s slept, manhandled them and stole cash and jewelry.

The suspects, police said, were thought to be wearing all black, possibly black masks with white on them.

Similar to this most recent incident, the suspects in the Park Avenue home invasion reportedly rang the doorbell and then immediately smashed a pane of glass and forcibly opened the door. Another similarity is that the suspects fled on foot.

Although neither of the elderly homeowners in the Park Avenue incident was seriously injured, police said they are nonetheless mentally and emotionally traumatized by the event.

“Although this was a manhandling of the suspects, understand that the psychological effects that they feel [are] really no different from being physically assaulted,” said Fairfield Police Lt. James Perez during a press briefing last week.

Police are asking for the public’s help in the Park Avenue home invasion: Anyone who noticed a vehicle in the area — possibly speeding or driving erratically — is asked to contact Fairfield detectives at 203-254-4840.