SEATTLE — Police in Seattle are looking for a group of robbery suspects accused of holding people at gunpoint inside their own homes during a robbery.
Police say they’ve received fourteen reports since June. They’re all in the South Precinct area, which includes Rainier Beach, Beacon Hill, Columbia City, and many others.
All fourteen robberies had masked suspects, who police believe are young people.
Five of those home invasions happened within the last week and a half, two in one night. The people who live in the South Precinct say they feel left in the dark, and should have gotten more notice from police.
“This is the first I’ve heard of it,” said Rainier Beach resident, Jason Deiman.
Jason said he had no idea as many as fourteen people in the area have been held up at gunpoint inside their own home. Elnah Jordan says she’s not surprised.
“Hell yeah, they can come in your home. there’s no fear. There’s no consequence and there’s no attention.” Elnah added, “These invasions, where does that mentality come from? What makes it alright for you to invade somebody’s home and scare a whole family and take what they worked hard for.”
The fourteen home invasions happened within the South Precinct in June. They’ve all had between three and seven suspects, sometimes in masks, but always carrying guns. In many cases, suspects approached people outside their homes and forced them back inside.
Elnah said she and others in the area feel like they have to fend for themselves.
“All the way home I’m thinking ok I got to make sure the lights are on, I got to make sure before I get out of the car there’s no one in the carport I got to make sure I can get to my door. I got to make sure nobody’s following me,” said Elnah.
Residents also say they’re tired of feeling like they’re on the back burner. They say that not being notified of the string of home invasions only reinforces that feeling.
“I’ll just be blunt. It’s a nonwhite neighborhood and therefore it gets less attention,” said Jason.
Elnah added, “You can’t deny it. We’re not getting the attention we need and actually the care, the compassion, just the human decency. Where’s that?” said Elnah.
Right now police are asking for any surveillance video that may help them track them down the group that is responsible for the home invasions. If you have any information, call the tip line.
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