It happened Monday night in the 4300 block of Maranatha Drive, just southeast of Sugar Land. In the words of authorities, 'it wasn't amateur night.' Those responsible for this home invasion knew what they were doing.
Beyond iron gates in Maranatha Farms, inside a 10,000 square foot home, Mohamed Ali says two men terrorized his son and daughter-in-law, holding a gun to their heads.
Ali says he had no idea. He says he was upstairs, wearing headphones and watching TV. It appears the suspects didn't know he was there.
"But I didn't hear," he said. "I was upstairs, you know, and when you are upstairs you could not hear anything."
Investigators say two masked men scaled the fence and threw a propane cylinder through a back bedroom window, ordering the couple inside the home to the ground at gunpoint.
Chief Craig Brady with the Fort Bend County Sheriff's Office said, "Indications are that these individuals had some prior knowledge of how to access the residence."
Detectives tell us the suspects were inside less than five minutes, ransacking the home, stealing at least $10,000 in cash and jewelry. No one was hurt. But the feeling of security in this affluent, otherwise tranquil neighborhood was damaged immeasurably.
"Now it's just kind of like, it's kind of scary, you know," said neighbor Ashley Crawford.
Investigators believe a third person may have been waiting nearby in a getaway vehicle.
One suspect is described as being between 5-feet, 8-inches to 6-feet tall with a heavy build. He spoke with a Spanish accent, the residents said. The second suspect is between 5-feet, 4-inches to 5-feet, 7 inches in height with a slim build, officials say.
Fort Bend County Crime Stoppers has posted a reward of up to $5,000 for any information leading to the arrest and filing of charges on the suspects responsible for this crime. Anyone with information is asked to call the Fort Bend County Sheriff's Office at 281-341-4665 or Fort Bend County Crime Stoppers, Inc. at 281-342-TIPS (8477).
