Two men break into homes posing as CenterPoint workers

HARRIS COUNTY (KTRK) -- Neighbors in the Windhaven neighborhood of northwest Harris County are on alert, after a violent home invasion by two men pretending to be CenterPoint workers.

The home invasion happened shortly after 9am Tuesday. The family's surveillance camera system caught it all. Two men, one wearing an orange vest and another a brown work shirt with a clipboard, are seen approaching the house. They ring the doorbell and tell the homeowner there is a gas problem. When the homeowner opens the door just a crack, they push in.

"When the homeowner opened the door, they overpowered, ransacked the house, taking valuables and currency, and fleeing the home," said Harris County Sheriff's Deputy Thomas Gililland.

The two men where inside the home for a total of seven minutes.

The homeowner tells Eyewitness News that the men pistol whipped some family members and locked others in the bathroom. The fact that they were pretending to be legitimate workers is especially alarming. The sheriff's department says men pretending to be workers is not a new crime, so homeowners need to have their guards up. Deputies say you should always ask to see proper badges, and if you don't feel comfortable, don't open the door.

"If you feel something's not right, they're not wearing any types of credentials, don't open your door," said Deputy Gililland. "Call whomever you have a s a provider, ask them if they have any service in the area or are doing construction."

If either of the men on the video look familiar, you are urged to call authorities. Neighbors say they believe the men were driving a late model black Tahoe.