Five people were detained for questioning Wednesday after a family said they were victims of two attempted home invasions this week.
Sunday night around 11 p.m. was the first time a group of men tried to enter the Cole family’s home on East 65th Avenue, said Denise Cole. She was at home, along with her husband and two of their six children.
The men came up to their home and banged on the front door, which woke 22-year-old Denise Cole and her husband Paul Cole, 28. One man hopped their fence and went to the back door, she said. The man slid the door open, triggering their burglary alarm. The man then fled, Denise Cole said, along with the others.
Police responded to the report, said spokeswoman Jennifer Castro, but no suspects were found.
When a group approached the home Wednesday around noon, her husband and one of their children were home while Denise Cole was in class at Alaska Community College. He phoned her and told her what happened, Denise Cole said, and she rushed home.
“My husband took days off work just for this reason,” she said. “Just to watch the house.”
By the time she got back home, five men were in custody, Denise Cole said. All five of them were armed, she said police told her.
Dispatch received a citizen report just after noon that people “were knocking on the door and appeared to be armed,” Castro said.
When police arrived, two people ran and another three were spotted in a nearby vehicle, Castro said. Police were able to track down all five and detained them for questioning. Police say they are investigating the incident.
“Right now we’re just waiting to figure out what’s going on,” Denise Cole said.
Denise Cole says she doesn’t know the men personally, but has a friend who does. They call themselves the Fight Squad, she said, which she says she’s never heard of.
On March 8, there was a reported armed robbery in South Anchorage. No suspects have been taken into custody, but police said they believe the robbery was drug-related.
On March 17, another South Anchorage armed robbery was reported. Police said they believe the home was targeted.