On Sunday evening, Helen McCoy had a home full of guests when two masked men approached relatives in the garage.
"The young man made everyone get down on the ground and he hit one person with the gun," said McCoy.
The thieves told everyone to empty their pockets. The guests complied.
"Here it is go ahead and take it," said McCoy.
She was in the kitchen when one suspect barged into the house. She thought it was a joke.
"I said, 'Get out of here. Get out of my house. Don't play like that.' Then he put the gun to my head and said, 'This is no joke.' And then I knew he wasn't playing," said McCoy.
Houston police say ten relatives were robbed of everything from wallets to cell phones.
Dr. Zeb Poindexter with the Timbercrest Neighborhood Association says there is growing concern about robberies and thefts in the area and worries abandoned apartment complexes like this one only breed more crime. He hopes to warn homeowners.
"That we get the message out and let them know so they are aware and more protective," said Dr. Poindexter.
As for the men who stormed the family barbeque.
"I don't think they value for life. Anything could have happened. What if a gun went off?" asked McCoy.
She says they are blessed no one was hurt but they are shaken.
"It makes me more aware and I don't think I'll have any family gatherings for a while," said McCoy.
Houston police are investigating the crime. They say do not yet know at this time if this home invasion might be related to other similar crimes in the area.
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