Neighbors: Intruder stabbed, tied up victims before setting fire to house
COLLINGSWOOD, New Jersey (WPVI) -- Police are looking for a man who attacked one person, tied up another, and then set a home on fire in Collingswood, New Jersey.
Firefighters were called to the home on the 200 block of Crestmont Terrace shortly before 2:30 p.m. Sunday.
Once the flames were extinguished, authorities say the firefighters found one victim suffering from injuries that were not caused by the fire.
According to the Camden County Prosecutor's Office, a man broke in and attacked one victim and tied up the other while demanding money.
He then set the house on fire before leaving.
Both of the victims were taken to Cooper Medical Center. There is no word on their conditions at this time.
According to the prosecutor's office, one of the victims described the suspect as a thin man with dark skin, a short beard and dark hair. He was wearing a yellow winter hat and a yellow and black zip-up sweatshirt.
Considering this incident occurred at the dead end of a quiet street in Collingswood, neighbors are worried about the home invasion that happened in broad daylight.
"I don't know if I'll be able to sleep tonight. But luckily I do have an alarm system. I do have two dogs. I will be locking my doors setting my alarm," said Erica Green.
Catherine Conaghan lives across the street from the home.
Like other neighbors, at first, she thought firefighters were just responding to a house fire. But she learned there was much more behind that fire when she saw first responders wheeling out her neighbor on a stretcher.
"She was upset," said Conaghan.
A family friend says the woman was a victim of a home invasion and was tied up by the attacker. They say a man who was also inside the home was stabbed.
Menashe Mizrachi says the attacker first set his sights on a larger home on the same property as the house that was targeted. He says it appears that the intruder tried to break into the larger house by throwing a rock through the window. When that apparently didn't work, he moved to the next house.
"He knocked on the door and asked for a cup of water then forced himself in," said Mizrachi.
Anyone with information on this case is asked to contact Camden County Prosecutor's Office Detective Mike Batista at 856-676-8175 or Collingswood Police Sgt. William Lyons at 609-868-0266.
