Suspects Sought In Violent Stowe Township Home Invasion Robbery
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – Police are investigating a violent home invasion in Stowe Township.
The homeowner was roughed up, tied up with duct tape, and then robbed.
The robbers were even brazen enough to return a couple days later to try and finish the job.
Police say the three suspects were scared off, but, not before taking jewelry, and ATM card, and car keys.
They left behind something which may help detectives in the investigation.
"One of the boys had a gun, he showed me the gun, his face was covered, and he said, let's go in the house," said 68-year-old Michael Caputo.
Caputo said the men approached him outside his Highland Avenue home in Stowe Township.
"I said you don't need to do this, meaning, take what you want, leave me alone, take the TVs or whatever."
Caputo was forced to empty out of his pockets, he handed over his wallet, phone, and car keys among other things, all while staring down the barrel of a gun.
"I leaned forward, that's when they pistol whipped me," Caputo said. "I had to hold my hands up like this, they duct taped me around the pipes in the ceiling. Then they went upstairs, they thought I was going to stay there."
Caputo managed to wiggle out of the duct tape, and the extension cord wrapped around his legs. He ran outside calling for help.
The three suspects, described as black, two in their teens, and one in his 20s, ran outside and out of sight.
"The victim does recognize one of the suspect as a person that goes by the name Little Ray," Allegheny County Police Detective Robert Opferman.
One of the other pieces of evidence that detectives recovered was a handgun, one of the suspects dropped on his way out of the house.
Caputo said he acted fast and changed his lock, and had his car key re-programmed.
"When they came back two days later, they couldn't drive it, my wife, Suzanne came downstairs and scared them away," Caputo said.
If you have any information on the suspects, call Pittsburgh Crime Stoppers at 412-255-8477.
Police are offering up to a $1,000 reward.
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