Astonishing moment homeowner breaks into his own front door to confront thieves as police chase gang behind three-month-long robberies across posh New York neighborhoods
- A group of burglars broke into thirteen homes in Brooklyn and Queens
- A brave man broke through the front door of his own house to meet them
- The robbers managed to steal clothes, jewelery and luxury cars from other houses
This is the astonishing moment when a homeowner storms through his own front door to defend his family from a gang of burglars.
The thieves broke into thirteen New York City homes, stealing luxury cars and clothing in an operation that lasted three months.
The video was released as police continued their hunt for three men linked to the burglaries.
The men targeted neighborhoods in Brooklyn and Queens, including quiet cul-de-sacs in the posh parts of Whitestone and Bayside.
The New York Post reported that the men stole vehicles, including a Porsche, Mercedes and Range Rover, in a period stretching from June to August.
A group of thieves has been attacking homes in several New York City boroughs since June, stealing jewelry, clothing and cars
According to police, the collective worked in groups of three or four, attacking mostly homes in the suburbs of Whitestone.
The most recent Crime Toppers report, released Sept. 3, depicted three masked men.
The group broke into the first home near Point Crescent on June 2, but were chased off by the homeowner before they could get anything.
One victim spoke CBS New York after the men attempted to rob her home later that month.
The woman said she and her husband were awakened at 5am by alerts from their Ring camera before her husband saw two men walking up the stairs.
One victim spoke to CBS New York after the men attempted to rob her home later that month
She called 911, but her husband acted out of sheer impulse, as their young children were asleep upstairs.
“He just slammed the door in panic,” she said. She then thought that the men had shot into the house.
Video obtained by CBS shows glass shattering before the man storms out the door, forcing the burglars to disperse.
The next day, a BMW sedan was taken from a house near 291st Street and 38th Avenue.
A Range Rover SUV and a Porsche went missing from a house near Cambridge Road and Somerset Street the following day.
A Range Rover SUV and a Porsche went missing from a house near Cambridge Road and Somerset Street the following day
The men then took jewelry, clothing, cash and a Mercedes-Benz from a home near Ridge Boulevard and 77th Street in Brooklyn.
Three of the thieves managed to break into a home near Coleridge Street and Oriental Boulevard, taking items ranging from clothing to jewelry, but also made off with a Mercedes Benz and a BMW SUV.
According to the New York Police Department, authorities recovered the stolen BMW sedan, a Mercedes Benz sedan and the Genesis sedan. The other cars are still on the run, as are the burglars.
As police continue to hunt for the three men, the unpredictable nature of the robberies has sparked concern across Whitestone.
Alex Arsenis showed CBS the window used two years ago when his house was broken into. He told reporters he had added additional cameras since he learned about the series of break-ins.
Another neighbor, Thomas Doherty, said: ‘If it keeps escalating, someone might get killed. Where should we intervene?’
Although the last known burglary happened on August 2, police warned people to remain vigilant.
The NYPD has asked anyone with information to call the Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-8477 (English) or 1-888-577-4782 (Spanish).