Suspects assault Lafayette husband and wife, tie them up, steal items in home invasion robbery: sheriff

LAFAYETTE, Calif. - Three suspects broke into a Lafayette home, stole property from a husband and wife and tied them up before they were finally able to break free after four hours, the Contra Costa County Sheriff's Department said.

Spokesman Jimmy Lee said that the home invasion robbery was reported on Tuesday about 11 p.m. by the couple who live on the the 1100 block of Crestmont Drive. The couple was able to get out of their restraints at 11 p.m. and call 911.

The couple told deputies that about 7:30 p.m., the trio of suspects entered their home through an open garage door and went through the house, stealing valuables and personal items while also assaulting the husband. Video at the scene shows officers looking at a piece of luggage that was strewn on the street outside the home. 

Both residents suffered minor injuries and were transported to a local hospital.  Lee did not detail how the residents were restrained. At least one of the supsects had a pistol, Lee said. 

Lee also said he was not able to immediately confirm whether this home invasion is linked to another one reported on Oct. 31. That's the same night that both Oakland police and Orinda police were asked to help recover a stolen BMW taken from a homeowner about three miles away on Martino Road in Lafayette, and the same night a mass shooting took place in Orinda. 

In that home invasion robbery, there were also three suspects and two vicitms, who were tied up after answering a knock on their door at about 8:30 p.m. The suspects spent about an hour robbing the home before fleeing in the victims' BMW, which was later found abandoned in Oakland.

Violent crime is typically rare in Lafayette, a city that often makes the Top 100 Safest Cities in California rankings. This year, Lafayette was ranked 7th, according to HomeSnacks, a site that uses FBI and Census data to create small community snapshots. 

Anyone with any information should contact the Lafayette Police Department at (925) 283-3680 or (925) 299-3234. For any tips, email: 94549TIP@gmail.com or call (866) 846-3592 to leave an anonymous voice message.

An officer puts up crime scene tape around a home in Lafayette after a couple was tied up and robbed. Nov. 26, 2019

Sheriff's deputies and Orinda police look at a suitcase outside a Lafayette home that was robbed. Nov. 26, 2019

Orinda police show up at a home invasion robbery in Lafayette, at least the second time they've done that this month.

An officer stands inside a home in Lafayette where a couple was tied up and robbed. Nov. 26, 2019