A 63-year-old woman saw two men riding bicycles past her as she returned to her Walden Lake home early Tuesday morning. When she leaned into her car to unload something, one of the men grabbed her, forcing her into the house and threatening to kill her if she didn’t listen, the Plant City Police Department said.
PCPD is looking for two suspects, a white male described as approximately 5-foot-11 with short brown hair wearing a black jacket and khaki pants, and another white male described as wearing dark clothes and a black beanie. The robbery occurred around 1:30 a.m. Tuesday on the 2700 block of Barret Avenue in Walden Lake’s Clubhouse Woods neighborhood. The woman said she might have heard one of the suspects use the name “Aaron” but is unsure.
According to police, the woman was forced to lie face-down on her couch as the suspects ransacked the room, later forcing her into another room where one watched over her as the other continued searching. During the robbery, the woman’s husband returned home and he, too, was forced inside where police say the suspects took his wallet and destroyed his cell phone, then threw him against a wall, causing a cut and swelling on the right side of his face.
Next, one of the suspects forced his way into the couple’s 29-year-old daughter’s bedroom and took her cell phone, saying they’d kill her if she called the police or tried to leave, police said. When the suspects left, she and her father ran to a neighbor’s house and called the police.
Investigators said the suspects used the couple’s 2016 Buick Regal as a getaway car. Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Deputies later found it abandoned.
Upon arrival, police found the husband's wallet, along with his driver’s license and debit card, two Michael Kors watches, a brown purse, several pieces of jewelry and military challenge coins were taken from the residence.
Police said aerial and K-9 searches yielded no results and the investigation is ongoing. They do not know whether the couple was targeted or it was a random act, but PCPD spokesperson Al Van Duyne said there is “nothing to indicate that it was anything calculated. At this point it looks like an isolated random incident.”
Van Duyne said PCPD is encoring the public to practice “universal precaution” when leaving or arriving at home late at night or early in the morning.
“Have your keys readily available, be cautious when transporting any valuables, like if you're carrying a TV or laptop,” he said. “Try to park in an area that's well lit. Do things to lessen the chances you'd be possibly burglarized.”
Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Chad Rader at 813-757-9200.