RICHMOND, Va. -- Neighbors are on edge and Richmond police are searching for suspects in an attempted home invasion that occurred just after 3 p.m. on Wednesday afternoon in South Richmond.
A teenage girl reported that two men armed with a handgun hit her in the head with the gun as she was leaving a home in the 600 block of Effingham Drive.
Because of the commotion, neighbors came outside and the two men ran off, jumping the fence behind the home.
"Detectives arrived with a K-9 team and they tracked those individuals to the fence and believe they hopped the fence into the adjacent neighborhood,” James Mercante with Richmond police said.
Police K-9s tracked a scent to a fence line where officers believe the males suspects got into a car driven by a third man.
Police said they have good descriptions of suspects and the vehicle. Originally police believed the crime was an attempted abduction, but after talking to detectives they believe it was a home invasion attempt.
Neighbor Tara Johnson said the street is usually quiet and kids are outside playing. She was taken aback by what happened Wednesday.
"[It’s] too close being that it's me and my son and I'm expecting. That’s a little scary,” she said.
Edward Phillips, who has lived on this street for around 20 years, said he does not think this incident will change the way people view this area.
“This is just a personal thing. They had a vendetta against a little girl, I think is all it was,” he said.
