Police in New York City are searching for three suspects after a violent home invasion in Queens, and have taken the step of releasing images of the individuals in the hope that the public can help identify them. The case has unsettled a residential corner of the borough, where a routine afternoon turned into a frightening ordeal for the man targeted inside his own home.
According to police, the break-in unfolded in the North Corona section of Queens. It happened yesterday afternoon at a home near 35th Avenue and 97th Street, a quiet residential area where such a brazen daytime attack quickly drew the attention of investigators and neighbors alike.
Police say the intruders did not wait to be let in. Instead, the suspects pushed their way into the home and confronted a man who was inside, turning what should have been the safety of a private residence into the scene of a sudden and violent assault.
The attack that followed was described by police as forceful and deliberate. Authorities said the suspects used a taser on the man and then tied his hands behind his back, leaving him restrained and unable to defend himself as the intruders moved through the home.
The apparent goal of the break-in became clear in what the suspects took with them. According to police, the intruders made off with the man's keys and his identification, seizing personal items that could carry further risk for the victim well beyond the attack itself.
The suspects then made their escape by vehicle. Police said the group got away in a white van that was carrying a temporary New Jersey license plate, a detail that has become a key thread for investigators trying to trace the intruders after they fled the scene.
There was at least some reassuring news about the man who was targeted. Police said the victim is expected to be okay, though he was understandably left shaken by the experience of being attacked and restrained inside his own home in broad daylight.
For now, the search for those responsible goes on. So far no arrests have been made, and police have released the images of the three suspects as they appeal for information, hoping that someone will recognize the individuals and help bring the investigation to a close.