A chilling home invasion in the Bronx left a family shaken after the intruders pistol-whipped a grandmother and threatened to shoot her 5-year-old grandson -- all for a $40,000 payday in what police say was a targeted holdup.
The violent break-in happened Wednesday around 8 a.m. on West Gun Hill Road across from Vancortlandt park.
Detectives say the trio entered the apartment building and waited approximately an hour for their chance to strike. They stood outside the apartment of a 30-year-old business owner until the front door open, then they made their move.
The group barged into the residence and pointed a gun at the boy in a terrifying threat of violence, promising to hurt the 5-year-old if his mother did not hand over cash.
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A second member of the trio, police say, then pistol-whipped the boy's 58-year-old grandmother and forced their way into a back bedroom where the money was locked away inside of a safe, police say. The trio took the safe and the $40,000 in cash that was inside.
Money in hand, the three men ran from the building and jumped into two separate getaway cars and took off. Police were looking for a gray sedan and a dark blue SUV.
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According to police, the mom and her young boy did not suffer any physical injuries. The grandmother received a minor injury from the attack but refused medical attention, they said.
The NYPD released surveillance images of the three suspects over the weekend in hopes of tracking them down.