An unidentified man who broke into a home early Monday morning and tied up members of the family inside before a shootout ensued was on the lam this morning, and a cash reward is being offered to help track him down.
Victims described the home invader as a slender 6-foot black man wearing dark pants and a gray, hooded sweatshirt, Vicksburg police Capt. Sandra Williams said.
He entered a home in the 100 block of Roseland Drive before 5:40 a.m. Monday and forced a mother and one of the children in the home out of bed at gunpoint, tied them up and led them to the living room of the home, Williams said.
Anyone who knows the man’s identity is encouraged to call Vicksburg police at 601-636-2511 or Central Mississippi Crime Stoppers at 601-355-8477.
Crime Stoppers will pay a cash reward of up to $2,500 for information leading to the arrest of a felony suspect. Callers remain anonymous and do not have to testify in court.
“Hopefully, someone knows something and will come forward,” Williams said.
As of this morning, police had received no tips about the home invasion to Crime Stoppers, she said.
“We’re still running down some things and developing leads,” Williams said.
The tied-up juvenile was able to break free and retrieved a gun and began a shootout with the man, Williams said.
No one was injured in the shootout, she said.
The home invasion is the first this year in the city, but two have been reported in the county.
In January, Rodriquez Lenez Lyons and Tierre Jante Hill broke into a home on Shenandoah Road and shot an elderly couple in the head after stealing items from the home.
Both victims recovered. The husband later died of causes unrelated to the shooting, Warren County Coroner Doug Huskey has said.
Hill and Lyons were each sentenced to 60 years in prison for attempted murder by Circuit Judge Isadore Patrick. Their accomplice Kenjarvis Thomas, who sat in the car during the robbery and shooting, was sentenced to 20 years.
On May 4, a 70-year-old woman was beaten during a home invasion robbery in the 3600 block of Warriors Trail.
Kimberly Nicole Chatman was arrested the next day after two men called 911 when they discovered her covered in blood in a stranded vehicle on U.S. 80. Her accused accomplice Bryan Jason Morton of Port Gibson, surrendered to Warren County Deputies in June.
Both have been charged with attempted murder and are being held without bail in the Warren County Jail.