Nightmare on Elm

At approximately 3:30 p.m. on Friday, July 3, four assailants wearing black ski masks entered a home on Elm Avenue in Imperial Beach. A male and female inside the home were ordered to lie on the floor, and the female's hands were bound with duct tape.

The male victim resisted their efforts to duct-tape his hands, so one of the perpetrators pepper-sprayed him and told him they would kill him if he resisted further. The male victim was subsequently struck in the head with a revolver, causing a laceration.

The home invaders took about $350 from the male victim's wallet but he managed to escape from the house and asked neighbors to call 911. The four perpetrators left the home; one was apprehended by sheriff’s deputies as he fled on foot. The victims positively identified him in a curbside lineup.

Later that evening, another home invader was apprehended in South San Diego. He admitted he had participated in the home invasion and was arrested. Two suspects remained at large at press time.