OAKLAND COUNTY, Mich. – A Pontiac mother and her five children—ranging in age from 16 to just one year old are terrified to go home after a frightening encounter with a masked intruder.
The break-in, police say, is part of a string of similar incidents, leaving the Pontiac community shaken.
Monica Smith says she woke around 4 a.m. Tuesday (Feb. 4), to the sound of her 10-year-old daughter screaming.
At first, she thought her daughter was having a nightmare.
“I’m like, Kaylee, what’s wrong? She didn’t say—she kept on screaming,” Smith said. “I see a guy just shoot out from her room, and then Kaylee started yelling that the guy was choking her.”
Investigators say the man appears to be targeting homes with young girls, entering through unlocked or damaged windows, and may have already left his DNA behind.
“He took the screen out, pulled it up, and my furniture was pushed up,” Smith said, describing how the suspect got into her home.
So far, nothing has been stolen, leading police to believe his prime motive isn’t burglary but it is getting to the young girls.
What’s even more alarming, police say, is that the suspect’s behavior appears to be escalating.
“We’re gonna catch you. It’s just a matter of time, said Sgt. Sam James.
Smith isn’t taking any chances—she and her children have already left their home and do not plan to go back.
The Oakland County Sheriff’s Office has advised residents to keep their windows and doors locked as they search for the suspect who allegedly choked a 10-year-old girl during a home invasion.
This comes as authorities are investigating four attempted or successful home invasions in Pontiac involving a man targeting young girls.
The most recent home invasion happened at the home of the 10-year-old girl in the 100 block of N. Anderson Street.
Authorities said the man was armed with a knife and wore a ski mask while allegedly breaking into the home and choking the 10-year-old girl who was sleeping.
He was allegedly startled by the girl’s screams and ran out of the home.
Smith saw the man running down the stairs wearing all black. The girl wasn’t injured, according to the sheriff’s office.
Authorities believe the suspect got into the home through an unlocked window in the kitchen.
Authorities say attempted or successful home invasions happened on Dec. 23, Jan. 25, Jan. 26, and Feb. 4. They all happened between 3 a.m. and 7 a.m.
The suspect accessed homes through unlocked windows and targeted homes with young girls each time.
In three of the four break-ins, he was armed with a knife. Authorities are also investigating other previous home invasions that could be connected.
The suspect is described as being between 17-21 years old, 5 feet 7 inches to 6 feet tall, with a thin build, wearing a ski mask and dark-colored clothing.
He is believed to be traveling on foot.
Residents are advised to keep their windows locked and call 911 if they witness anything suspicious.
“Obviously, an intruder willing to climb into a home in the middle of the night and armed with a knife and primarily in homes with young girls is a person we need to catch and take off the street,” Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard said. “We are asking for the community’s vigilance and tips. Any information leading to the arrest and conviction of this person is eligible for a reward.”
Anyone with any information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-SPEAK-UP. A $1,000 reward is being offered for information that leads to an arrest.
