A North Branford family escaped early Monday after being tied up during a home invasion.
Five men stormed into the home on Autumn Court in the Northford section of town around 10:30 p.m. Sunday in what is believed to be a random crime, according to police.
Inside the home was a woman in her 60's, her daughter, and her 3-year-old grandson at the time. The suspects held the grandmother at gunpoint in the living room, and pulled the younger woman from the shower at gunpoint, according to Detective Sgt. Ken McNamara.
The men forced the two women into a basement wine cellar and tied them up with zip ties. They waited for the grandfather to come home. When he arrived, the suspects met him in the garage, then tied him up with the two women.
The 3-year-old was in his bed the whole time.
"He's okay, wasn't hurt. Was in a bedroom scared, but he's okay," said the boy's father, who did not want to be identified. "He did say he did see monsters so, but not quite sure what he saw or didn't see."
The entire frightening ordeal lasted nearly five hours, with the suspects ransacking the house, looking for jewelry and other valuables. They tried to steal a large, 6-foot safe, but couldn't remove it from the house, police said. The men even threatened to take the 3-year-old boy and hold him for ransom.
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"Jewelry boxes open, TVs thrown around, drawers open. They were looking for something," McNamara said.
The suspects left the home around 3 a.m. Monday, stealing a shotgun, jewelry, homemade wine, and of all things, tomato sauce. The men took off in the homeowner's pickup.
Family members were able to free themselves and call for help. No one was injured.
"I don't think they were there to hurt anybody," the boy's father said. "They were looking for money or something or things they could sell so thank God that was the case and it wasn't, it could have been a lot worse."
The pickup, still running, was found a short distance from the home.
State police are assisting North Branford police in the investigation.
