Syracuse (WSYR-TV) -- Police have charged five men in connection with a violent armed robbery/home invasion at 143 West Matson Avenue in Syracuse on Sunday.
Investigators report the incident began around 11:45 p.m. They say a 29-year-old female resident was returning home when she was approached by one of the masked suspects who yelled at her to give up her keys to the car and her money. According to police, one of the suspects then grabbed her arm and held a gun to her head while he led her back to the house.
Police say a neighbor witnessed what was going on and called 911.
Once inside the home the suspects continued to yell at the victim to “give up the money.” The victim told police she began to cry, at which point one of the suspects put a gun in her mouth and yelled at her to stop crying. The other suspects went about rummaging through the house, robbing the victim of her jewelry.
The victim was eventually led upstairs and placed in a bathroom closet, police said. A few minutes later one of the suspects told her to open the door. That's when police say she decided to try and escape. Once she opened the door, police say she tried to run past one of the suspects who attempted to grab her jacket, but missed. The victim was eventually able to escape through the front door just as police were arriving on the scene.
Syracuse police spokesman Sgt. Tom Connellan says the masked suspects attempted to flee the residence but retreated to back inside the building when they saw police outside. Officers set up a perimeter around the house to keep the suspects from getting away.
Police say one of the suspects was found in a getaway vehicle near the scene. He was immediately taken into custody very early during the incident.
A police SWAT team and hostage negotiation teams were eventually called in. Negotiators attempted to speak with the suspects throughout the night but they refused to exit the home, police said.
It was later determined that no hostages remained in the home. That’s when officers decided to deploy tear gas into the home. Two hours later, the remaining four suspects surrendered to police.
Those charged in connection with the incident include: 28-year-old Michael Sherriod, 24-year-old Sammy Davis Jr., 19-year-old Cedric Judge, 40-year-old Timothy Boyd and 20-year-old Nakiiso Tas. All of the suspects are from Syracuse and each has been charged with burglary, robbery and Kidnapping. They are scheduled to be arraigned in Syracuse City Court on Tuesday May 15.
At this time, an investigation into the incident remains active and ongoing and the Syracuse Police Crime Scene Unit is continuing to conduct a search of the home to locate evidence.
