Two armed suspects forced their way into a home on Seventh Avenue, near Sharpe Street, Wednesday morning and fled with about $400 in cash.
According to police, a 47-year-old male resident was in the back yard when two suspects carrying a knife and a sawed-off shotgun approached him from the alley around 9 a.m. The suspects forced the man into the house before fleeing with cash from the home. Three other people were inside the house at the time, and nobody was injured.
The suspects fled the area in a grey 2008 Pontiac Grand Prix which was reported stolen from Surrey earlier in the day.
Both suspects are described as being in their mid-20s and between 5’6″ to 6′ in height.
The first suspect had short brown hair with a medium build and a scarred upper lip. He was holding a knife with a 6″ blade and an orange handle.
The second suspect was wearing a balaclava and a black jacket and holding a sawed-off shotgun.
“It is believed that this incident was not random and it was a targeted robbery,” said Mission RCMP Sgt. Shaun Wright. “The resident of this location is known to police.”
Police were called to the home 18 times in 2014.
A resident in the area watched as several marked police vehicles sped down Seventh Avenue and stopped in front of the house across the street from hers.
She saw the officers get out of their cars and draw their weapons as they approached the property and disappeared behind the tall eight-foot orange fence.
She doesn’t know who lives in the house the police attended, but said she and several neighbours have been concerned about activities happening in the neighbourhood for almost a year.
She moved to the area two years ago with her husband and three young boys and have not had any problems until about a year ago. Since then, she says she has had her vehicle and bike stolen, and most recently, she caught someone in her back yard trying to take her wheelbarrow.
Another neighbour said he too is concerned about the crimes happening in the area.
He said in the past year, he has had the windows of his van smashed, had his truck broken into, and has caught people in his backyard.
Wright noted police are aware of several nuisance residences in the municipality but did not identify any of them.
He said Mounties are working with various partner agencies, such as the district, to address community concerns.
Wright advised residents to report suspicious activity and vehicles in their neighbourhood.
