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Nov 11, 2006 12:19 pm US/Central
Police Seek Suspect In Chanhassen Home Invasion
by Bridgette Bornstein
Chanhassen, Minn. (WCCO) ―
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A family of five were held captive Thursday and Friday; the assailant took cash and the family's truck.
CBS
A family of five is safe following a terrifying ordeal after they were abducted and held hostage inside their home. An armed gunman then made them drive him to two banks to get cash before he left with their money and their pickup truck, which was recovered in Minneapolis at around 8 p.m. Friday.
According to police the assailant wearing a ski mask and dark gloves entered the home's garage and confronted the father, who is reportedly in the banking business. Carrying a sawed-off rifle slung around his neck and a knife, the assailant forced his way into the family home and tied up the man, his wife and their three children.
According to the police account, the masked man cleaned out the house of whatever money he could find.
In the morning, with the family still tied up, the man forced them to drive to two banks in town. The mother went in and withdrew cash. The family was dropped off at home, and the man took off in the family's truck.
"For this area, for Carver County, the city of Chanhassen, this is really an unusual crime," said Carver County Sheriff Bud Olson.
The family had relocated to Minnesota from California about six months ago. Their home at the end of a dead-end street is skirted by a wooded area. Because of the victim's work, in banking, police are attempting to determine if he was targeted for abduction and armed robbery.
"It concerns me the boldness of this person. I'm concerned he's out there with this sawed off weapon. I'm concerned he has this family's vehicle. I'm concerned he may victimize another family," said Olson.
Even in such a traumatic situation, the assailant apparently showed some degree of compassion for the three children.
"At times they were very friendly and cordial at times he was somewhat demanding. He did allow the children to be fed. He did the allow the family to move throughout the house at different times," said Olson.
The physical description of the assailant is somewhat incomplete because, throughout the family's captivity, the assailant never removed his ski mask and gloves. But police were able to glean this much: He is white with pale skin, about 5-feet 8-inches tall and from 25 to 35 years old.
He wore brown leather work boots and a waist-length wool coat.
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