DETROIT – Two children are recovering after two men burst into their home early Tuesday morning, holding their family hostage and setting the house on fire.
It happened at about 12:30 a.m. in the 700 block of Conner Street on Detroit’s east side. One of the victims, Marcus Robinson, said he heard a knock on the door and wasn’t going to open it until the people outside used a friend’s name asking for help.
“When he said my homeboy’s name, I wasn’t going to open it, but he knows somebody I know,” Robinson said.
Robinson lives on the top floor of a duplex. His girlfriend’s sister, Betty Austin, and her family live on the bottom floor. Austin said he saw the two men barge in.
“The guy was moving close to him and pushed him in the house,” Austin said. “Once Marcus said, ‘I don’t have nothing,’ I knew they were getting robbed.”
Once inside, Marcus and his girlfriend, Precious, and her two kids were held hostage, authorities said. Marcus was allegedly tied up. In the meantime, Austin called 911.
“I guess the guys were trying to get down the back stairwell, trying to run out the back of the house because they saw the police in the front," said Austin’s boyfriend, Courdney Osterman. “And when Precious saw they were trying to run she unhooked Marcus and ran, downstairs.”
“She was trying to untie my hands,” added Robinson. “They were tied to my neck. I looked around the corner and down the stairs and saw the police officer. He told us, ‘Just come on.’ I said we have to get the kids, he said, ‘Just come now.’”
Unfortunately, the two children, 4-year-old Ronald and his 2-year-old sister, Reagan, were left behind.
“The parents were able to flee the location, leaving the children behind,” said Detroit Police Commander Elvin Barron. “The suspects even used one of the children as a human shield as our officers negotiated.”
Authorities said Reagan was the child used as a shield. Even though shots were fired, no one was hit.
Meanwhile, the SWAT team moved in and a standoff ensued, later ending when the house was set on fire. A Detroit firefighter rescued the kids while the suspects ran. One of them, a 37-year-old, was caught immediately. Police are still searching for the other suspect.
Both children are being treated at Children’s Hospital for smoke inhalation. Reagan is listed in critical condition, while Ronald is stable.
“You wouldn’t ever in your life want to go through what I went through last night,” said Robinson.