Bandits invade Haverford home, terrorize couple

Armed, masked men broke into a Haverford Township couple's home last night, duct-taped the wife, and made off with an undisclosed amount of money, police said today.

The incident occurred shortly before 8:15 p.m. Thursday on the 600 block of Paddock Road in the Paddock Farms development as the couple was in their bedroom, according to Haverford Deputy Chief John Viola.

The couple, who own a corner store in West Philadelphia, heard, "a loud crash downstairs" just before three men came up the stairs and entered the master bedroom, Viola said, adding that at least one of the men was believed to have had a handgun.

The bandits wrapped duct tape around the hands and mouth of the wife. The husband attempted to call 911, but the phone was knocked from his hand, Viola said. Their son was home at the time, but his age was not released.

The men left the house after stealing an undisclosed amount of crash. One of the men reentered into the kitchen to seek more money, but fled for an unknown reason.

Police had little information to go on in seeking the suspects, described only as three masked black males.

"It all happened very quickly," Viola said.

The couple was otherwise uninjured.

The home invasion marked the second time this week shop owners of Asian background appeared to be targeted.

On Wednesday, a water ice shop owner who had just closed his Upper Darby store, was robbed in his home on Morse Street in Philadelphia's Wynnfield section by two armed men.

He was confronted by a gun-wielding black male, about 6'1" and weighing between 240 and 260 pounds, and a second man, described as a black male, about 5'4" with medium complex and wearing a black hoodie and jeans. The victim was uninjured.