Florence Police search for home invasion suspects

By: Conan Gasque | SCNow
Published: September 02, 2009

Florence Police are searching for two suspects in connection to a home invasion.

Two suspects broke in to a home on the 400 block of Darlington Street in Florence around 11:30 p.m. Tuesday, Maj. Carlos Raines, with the Florence Police Department said.

One victim told authorities he was lying on his couch, when he heard someone banging on his door.

Two black males kicked the door open. Both were wearing all white with black bandannas covering their mouths and noses. They also had stockings over their heads.

One suspect jumped on top of the man lying on the couch. The suspect forced his knee into the man's chest, put a gun to his face and began screaming at him.

This victim reports that the other suspect went over to another victim, also a man, sitting at the computer.

The first victim says he believes that suspect assaulted the man at the computer.

Then the man on the couch threw the the first suspect off of him onto the floor. That's when both suspects grabbed him, one by the throat, and threw him up against a bedroom door.

One suspect hit him in the head with a gun and said he would blow his brains out if he didn't open the door.

The victim's mother and boyfriend were in this bedroom. Somehow the suspect got the door partially open and stuck the gun inside the door.

Then the boyfriend pushed the gun back outside the door, shut the door, and blocked it with his foot so it could not be opened again.

That's when the suspect fired a shot at the victim, who was still standing outside the bedroom door.

The victim says he moved his head and the bullet missed him.

The victim says he grabbed both suspects by the bandannas and pulled them down.

The suspects then ran out of the house and ran west on Darlington Street. The victim went to a neighbor's door. That neighbor called the police.

The victim describe one suspect as a black male, 5'7 with an athletic build. The other suspect is also described as a black male, 6'0 with an athletic build.

If you have seen these suspects, please call the Florence Police Department.