Inkster family held at gunpoint during home invasion

INKSTER, Mich. – Sitting inside of her Inkster home, Bethany Branch admits she'll have a very hard time getting over what happened early Monday morning.

"Three guys came out of nowhere, put a gun to my head and a gun to my fiancé's head and walked us in here," she said.

Branch was returning from the hospital after an overnight visit for difficulty breathing. Three masked men forced their way in as she got home about 6 a.m.

Once inside, one man kicked open a bedroom door, waking Branch's 19-year-old son. Then, one man held the three at gunpoint while the other men ransacked the house.

Three other children were still asleep upstairs.

"(I was) scared, for my kids and my life. That's all I could think about was my kids. You have guys walking around my house, with guns, and my kids are upstairs," said Branch.

William Gruebbs, Branch's fiancé, was most nervous about their 12-year-old.

"He's a pretty good size, if he wakes up they just might shoot him," he said.

No one was hurt, although the robbers did make a huge mess; taking laptops, a PlayStation and more with them. But nobody had any intentions of putting up a fight.

"We'll just sit right here and sit tight," William recalled thinking. "Hopefully they'll leave."

"Yes, whatever they wanted," Branch said. "Whatever they wanted, I love my life and I love my kids."

Gruebbs said the three men appeared to be organized and fears they might be a professional crew. The Inkster Police Department has not responded to requests for comment.


About the Author:

Nick joined the Local 4 team in February of 2015. Prior to that he spent 6 years in Sacramento covering a long list of big stories including wildfires and earthquakes. Raised in Sterling Heights, he is no stranger to the deep history and pride Detroit has to offer.