Hammond police investigate home invasions, carjacking
By Carrie Napoleon Post-Tribune correspondent September 21, 2012 1:28PM
Maps
Updated: October 23, 2012 6:07AM
HAMMOND — A family of four was bound and gagged with duct tape and held captive in a bedroom of their home in the 7800 block of Catalpa just before 10 p.m. Thursday while they were robbed.
The incident is one of three incidents that took place Thursday currently under investigation by Hammond police.
In another incident, the home of a 100-year-old woman in the 4300 block of Towle was robbed during a home invasion during an attempted home improvement scam. The woman was home at the time.
In the final incident a woman in the 6800 block of Magoun was carjacked while unloading groceries from her car.
“The incidents are not considered related,” Lt. Richard Hoyda with the Hammond Police said.
Police are looking for a Hispanic male and a black male in connection with the incident involving the family. According to witnesses, the men knocked on the door of the home before 10 p.m. and displayed a black handgun to the 10-year-old child who answered the door.
When the mother came to the door the men forced their way into the home and made the family members, including the father and a 15-year-old child, to a bedroom where they were bound and gagged while their home was robbed. Before the pair fled the home, they asked the victims for a phone number they could call to have let someone know they were tied up in the home.
Police are looking for two men, a Hispanic male, 30 to 35 years old, 5 feet 8 inches tall, with a goatee and wearing a black hoodie sweatshirt, black pants and black gloves, and a black male aged 30 to 35, 5 feet 11 inches tall with dreadlocks wearing the same type of black clothing. The Hispanic male displayed an unknown type of handgun
The second home invasion and robbery occurred around 4 p.m. when a 100-year-old resident answered her door to a Hispanic male, 5 feet 7 inches tall and about 190 pounds and wearing a blue baseball cap who wanted to clean her gutters.
The woman told the man she did not need work done, but when she went to get a glass of water for the suspect, he and possibly another man entered the home and stole money.
The carjacking occurred just after 9 p.m. Police are searching for two black males who entered a 2003 maroon Mercury Sable after demanding money and a wallet from the victim while she was unloading groceries from the car.
The first suspect was 5 feet 6 inches tall and about 160 pounds. He was wearing a baseball hat and displayed an unknown handgun. There is no further description of the second suspect. A handgun belonging to the victim’s husband was inside the vehicle when it was stolen.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Hammond Police at 852-2906 or 853-6490.
