Bethesda couple tied up and robbed in home invasion

Wednesday, May 7, 2008

Bethesda couple tied up and robbed in home invasion

Police say the incident could be connected to a series of break-ins

by Bradford Pearson | Staff Writer

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A Bethesda couple was tied up and robbed early this morning during a home invasion that police say could be connected to a series of four other break-ins.

The invasion occurred in the 5800 block of Brookside Drive at about 2:30 a.m., police said. The husband and wife, both in their 70s, were awoken by a man with a handgun. The couple was then restrained while the man robbed the home. At some point, the suspect struck the female victim, but she did not require hospitalization. The husband was not injured.

It is not known what was taken from the home.

Police received a call from the male victim at 5:30 a.m., after the couple freed themselves. Officers are currently looking for a single suspect.

The suspect is described as a Hispanic male between 20 and 30 years old, 5 feet 8 inches tall, and weighing approximately 150 pounds. He was wearing a bandana over his face and green, military-style fatigues.

Detectives are investigating the links between this robbery and previous robberies in Montgomery County, according to Montgomery County Police Department spokeswoman Lucille Baur.

‘‘Detectives can't confirm they're all related but the suspect description is similar,” she said. ‘‘It makes sense to consider the possibility that this may be the same person.”

A series of home invasions and robberies have occurred in Montgomery County and Northwest Washington, D.C. since September, according to police reports. The four previous incidents all included the victims being tied up and robbed.