Task force in hunt for Mesa home invaders

Two Mesa roommates were in their apartment last month when they heard a knock. One of the men was expecting company, so he answered the door. But it wasn’t who he thought it would be.

Instead, three men, their faces hidden, stormed into the apartment near Southern Avenue and Alma School Road, pointed handguns at the roommates and forced them to lie on a couch.

One intruder held the men at gunpoint, while the other two searched the home. They tied up one of the men as they continued their hunt.

“(They) pointed a handgun at the victims and threatened to ‘pop’ the victims if they did not tell him where the money was,” court records show. “The victims were told not to get up for 20 minutes if they wanted to live.”

Finally, the terrifying intrusion was over and the robbers fled.

Home invasions, such as this one from Nov. 21, have spiked in Mesa in recent months as various “crews” work together, targeting illegal immigrants, families and anyone from whom they can steal.

The problem has grown so that Mesa police have formed a special task force to investigate the crimes and arrest those committing them.

“Right now, there’s probably no bigger deal hitting the city than these home invasions,” said Mesa assistant police chief John Meza at a December police meeting.

In about the past three months, officials said 34 Mesa homes have been invaded. In one case a 15-year-old girl was dragged by her hair and held at gunpoint.

“The concern is great,” said Mesa police Chief George Gascón. “We’re working very hard on this and we have some leads.”

Police won’t release many details, but said in some cases illegal immigrants — or those perceived to be illegal — have been targeted, possibly because they are more likely to keep cash in their homes since they sometimes don’t use traditional banking.

Also, police believe up to four different groups could be committing home invasions, and the same individuals could be linked to crimes in Tempe.

“We have met with Mesa ... and we are looking at the possibility that there are several street-jump robberies that have occurred since the end of October that may be connected with some of the home invasions in Mesa,” said Tempe police spokesman Sgt. Mike Horn.

“We are exchanging information and working with each other to investigate these crimes.”

Police involved with the task force won’t say how close they are to catching the offenders.

Police spokesman Detective Steve Berry said people can protect themselves by looking through the peephole or talking through the door to determine if they know and trust any person at their door.

“You’ve got to take the most basic safety measures of locking the door,” Berry said.

Police recommend a solid wood, aluminum or steel door, instead of a hollow one. Also, security deadbolts and longer screws in the lock strike can help if someone tries to kick down a door.

“If that ultimately happens and the criminals are inside, the best thing you can do is be cooperative,” Berry said. “If they take your wallet, if they take your watch, if they take your keys ... those items are replaceable.”