Ottawa police release video in violent home invasion case
Ottawa police have released video footage of two suspects in a violent Lees Avenue home invasion that left a man unconscious and a woman bound and blindfolded the night of Nov. 14.
Two men invaded an apartment in a highrise apartment building at 180 Lees Ave. at about 8:30 p.m. ET, armed with a machete, a syringe and a crowbar or hammer, police said.
A man inside the apartment was immediately struck unconscious with the hammer or crowbar, said robbery unit Staff. Sgt. Mike Haarbosch.
A woman in the apartment was bound and blindfolded then the suspects threatened to stab her with the syringe, Haarbosch said.
The invaders searched the apartment for about 15 to 25 minutes, stealing "a quantity of household items" they carried away in a white laundry hamper, police said.
"Our information is, from the investigation, that they were looking for something specific, and we're not releasing that at this point just to protect the integrity of the investigation," Haarbosch said.
Home invasion not random, police say
The woman was eventually able to free herself and then drove the man who had been hit to hospital, police said.
Investigators do not believe the home invasion was random.
One suspect is described as a 30-year-old Caucasian man with a shaved head, standing five feet 10 inches tall and weighing about 230 pounds. He was wearing a red Adidas sweater and grey or beige track pants the night of the home invasion.
The other suspect is described as a 30-year-old aboriginal man, standing six feet tall and weighing about 170 pounds. He was wearing black jeans, a black coat over a blue hooded sweater, and was carrying a red backpack.
Anyone with information on this case is asked to call the Ottawa police robbery unit at 613-236-1222, ext. 5116 or call anonymously via Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
