Cruel home invaders tortured a seven-year-old boy during a break-in at his home, holding him down in a bathtub of scalding hot water to force him to tell them where his family’s valuables were kept.
Police are hunting for the three masked men who burst into the Fort Bend County home, in Houston, Texas at 3am on Monday.
The homeowner told police that the assailants broke through the front door and hit him, leaving a bloody gash on his head, before grabbing his young son.
Chilling surveillance stills shows one of the men, in a dark black hoodie, standing over the young boy during the home invasion.
Cruel home invaders tortured a seven-year-old boy during a break-in at his home, holding him down in a bathtub of scalding hot water to find out where his family’s possessions were (pictured is one of the men with the young boy in surveillance footage)
Police say the men (pictured left and right from surveillance footage) hit the homeowner and grabbed his seven-year-old son, before taking him to the bathtub
Police today released surveillance footage stills showing the break-in. They clearly showed one intruder had a gun in his hand
The men then placed the seven-year-old in a bathtub of scalding water to try and force him to tell him where the valuables were kept, police said in a statement.
After a terrifying, hour-long ordeal, the group made off with cellphones, cash and jewelry.
The boy was later taken to Texas Medical Center where is being treated for fluid in his lungs.
Sheriff Troy Nehls branded the home intruders ‘cowards.’
‘This is the worst kind of crime against a family,’ he said. ‘Three crooks forcing their way into a home in the middle of the night is appalling. To make matters worse, they accosted a 7-year-old child. They’re cowards, to say the least.’
The third suspect (right) joined the men in casing the property, looking for valuables
Surveillance footage taken from outside the home also showed one of the intruders beckoning his accomplices over
The men are then seen boldly making their way up the drive of the home before breaking in
Nehls added that his officers were working hard to identify those responsible.
Police today released surveillance footage stills showing the break-in.
‘My prayers are with the family,’ he tweeted.
Police have not identified the victims although the homeowner appears to be Ashraf Ghriri, 41.
Mohamad Ghiri toldKPRC on Monday that the break-in had occurred at the home of his brother.
On Tuesday, investigators spoke to a man, believed to be the victim, Ashraf Ghriri, 41, in the blue shirt
Police were on the scene Monday and today in the wake of the brutal break-in
Police are hunting for the three masked men who burst into the Fort Bend County home, (pictured) in Houston, Texas at 3am on Monday
Crimestoppers are offering a $25,000 reward for information leading to the intruders’ arrest and police have released surveillance stills from the break-in in the hopes of identifying the men
‘I saw him all bloody and a gash on his head,’ Ghriri said. ‘He was shaken up, I tried to calm him down but he was just worried about his son.’
Crimestoppers are offering a $25,000 reward for information leading to the intruders’ arrest.
The suspects are described as black, one was wearing a black vintage Air Jordan men’s hooded sweatshirt that is black with ‘Jordan’ spelled out in white on the sleeves and was clearly carrying a gun in his hand. Another was wearing a white Adidas hoodie and a face mask which read ‘change.’
The third was wearing red sneakers that are believed to be Jordan basketball shoes.
Cops are also hunting a fourth suspect, the getaway driver.