Armed Nassau Home Invasion Thwarted By Residents

An armed home invasion in Nassau was thwarted on Tuesday when police say the occupants of the home managed to hide until officers arrived and the robbers fled.

According to police, two men entered a second-floor entrance of a home on Beach Drive in Merrick at 4:40 p.m. Tuesday. One of the men was armed with a handgun. Once inside the home, they confronted a 20-year-old man who lived there and told him to, "Give us your stuff."

The man grabbed the robber's arm in an attempt to push the gun away, and was punched in the face. The man managed to pull himself away from the robbers and then ran into another room.

The commotion alerted other residents of the home, and they all fled into the basement and locked themselves in. There, they called 911 and waited for police to arrive. The robbers fled the home without stealing anything. The man who was punched refused medical treatment.

The first robber was a white man in his 20s, 6 feet tall with a medium build. He was wearing a hooded sweatshirt and a purple bandanna that covered the lower part of his face. The other robber was a Hispanic man, 5 feet, 11 inches tall, also in his 20s, with a medium build. He was also wearing a hooded sweatshirt and a purple bandanna around his face.

Police say the investigation is ongoing. But anyone with information is asked to call Nassau County Crime Stoppers at 1-800-244-TIPS. All callers will remain anonymous.