A man broke into a home in Collingswood, New Jersey, attacked another man, tied up a woman and then set the house on fire before fleeing the scene, investigators said.
Firefighters responded to a house fire on the 200 block of Crestmont Terrace shortly before 2:30 p.m. Sunday. After putting out the flames, firefighters found a victim suffering from injuries not caused by the fire.
Investigators learned a man broke into the home, attacked a person and tied up a second person while demanding money. He then set the house on fire before leaving.
"One of the victims, the one who was tied up and bound, was able to make it outside of the home," Colby Gallagher, the Public Information Officer for the Camden County Prosecutor's Office, told NBC10. "The other one is the person who suffered injuries that weren't related to that fire."
Catherine Conaghan, a neighbor, told NBC10 she witnessed the home invasion.
"They knocked on the door. I guess they pushed their way in and then they stabbed the fella," Conaghan said. "And I think they said they tied her up but she got out."
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One of the victims described the suspect as a thin man with a short beard and dark hair wearing a yellow winter hat and a yellow and black zip-up sweatshirt.
Police have not yet revealed the conditions of the couple but said they are being treated for injuries.
Police are stepping up patrols in the area as the investigation continues.
If you have any information on the incident, please call Camden County Prosecutor’s Office Detective Mike Batista at 856-676-8175 or Collingswood Police Sgt. William Lyons at 609-868-0266. You can also email tips to ccpotips@ccprosecutor.org.
