Masked intruders tie up family of 5, tase man in terrifying home invasion
A Southern California family — including an elderly woman and two children — was tied up and held at gunpoint by masked intruders this week in a terrifying home invasion, authorities said.
The horror unfolded around 10:40 p.m. Monday when a woman dialed 911 and whispered that she needed help at a Westminster residence, KTLA reported.
When authorities responded, they saw four masked male suspects carrying handguns running from the home, the outlet said.
Danny Sommay, 29, of Banning, was apprehended at the scene, while the three other alleged perpetrators remain on the lam.
Inside the house, police found an adult man, an adult woman and an elderly woman along with a14-year-old boy and a 7-year-old girl, KTLA said.
The suspects forced their way into the home and used a stun gun to get the adult man to the floor, according to the victims.
The man, the two children and the elderly woman were tied up while the perpetrators ransacked the space for valuables.
One image released by the Westminster Police Department and distributed by CBS appears to show two of the suspects gesturing for the residents to get down on the living room floor.
The adult woman was able to hide in a closet and alert police, KTLA said, citing a release from the Westminster Police Department.
Within minutes, the family’s palm tree-lined suburban street was full of squad cars and crime scene tape, photos from KTLA show.
A Huntington Beach Police Department helicopter was initially dispatched to search for the three remaining suspects, but did not turn up any significant leads, the outlet said.
Sommay was booked into Orange County Jail on charges of kidnapping, robbery, burglary, conspiracy to commit a felony, possession of a loaded and stolen firearm and armed criminal action.
At the time of his arrest, he was armed with a loaded 9mm handgun that had been reported stolen, police told the outlet.
Sommay attempted to hide the weapon by tossing it over a brick wall, but it was recovered by authorities.
The Westminster Police Department could not immediately be reached to answer questions about the case, including the search for the three suspects who remain on the lam.
As of Wednesday morning, Sommay’s bail has been set at $1 million, and he is scheduled to appear in court later today, jail records show.