Gunman invades West Seattle home, terrorizes family, steals purses

SEATTLE -- Police are looking for a man who entered a West Seattle home, pointed a shotgun at two women and a child, locked them in a bathroom and fled after stealing several purses, police said.

A woman called 911 at about 11:30 a.m. Tuesday saying a man entered her house in the 8100 block of 24th Avenue SW and locked her and her 4-year-old daughter in a bathroom.

The woman and her daughter managed to climb out of the bathroom window, Seattle police said, and fled to a neighbor to call 911.

The neighbor, Therry Eparwa, tells Q13 FOX she didn't think twice to help.

"I was on my couch having some lunch, and I saw a woman looking in distress with her daughter in her arms and she was running to my front yard," said Eparwa. "She frantically knocked on the door, and I let her in and she frantically explained that a guy had pointed a rifle at her and her daughter and she climbed out of the bathroom window. As soon as I closed the door, she locked it behind me and we called 911."

According to the family, the woman's aunt remained in the bathroom until the robber ran off.

"My daughter, granddaughter and great-granddaughter are all pretty hysterical right now," said Theresa Griego, the victims' grandmother. "They’re afraid to be in the house, and they don’t feel safe no more."

By the time police drove to the scene, the robber was gone, officers said. According to the victim, the suspect made off with two purses and some prescription medication.

The suspect is described as a white male, about 5-foot-4, thin build, with "scruffy" facial hair, wearing a black Kangol hat, black jacket, dark pants and sunglasses.

Officers searched the home and neighborhood and are still working to locate the suspect.