‘It was brazen’: Surveillance system captures home invasion in downtown Orlando

ORLANDO, Fla. — An Orlando man says two suspects are on the loose after breaking into his home while he was out of town for work.

▶ WATCH CHANNEL 9 EYEWITNESS NEWS

The pair was caught on this surveillance camera footage – to make matters worse, a 15-year-old was home and alone at the time. “I want them to be caught. I want them to be caught. I want to be prosecuted,” said William McKnight, who spoke exclusively with Channel 9.

The crime happened at an apartment building in the Downtown area. McKnight, who’s a travel nurse, said the teen opened the door because he thought it could have been a family member who lives nearby. “He was in the room playing. Someone knocked on the door. He came out and was not focused; he had the game patrol in his hand. Goes to the door, thinking maybe it’s his cousin from upstairs to play the game with him,” said McKnight. “When he opens the door, It’s a male and female. They ask, ‘Hey, Are your parents home?’ He says, ‘No.”

The whole action lasted about 30 minutes, and it was caught on camera thanks to McKnight’s home surveillance system. In the video, you can see the moment when one of the suspects holds what appears to be a gun. McKnight said that’s when they followed the teen into his room and forced him to cooperate. “He rushed around, and that’s when he pulled the gun out,” said McKnight. “So if my nephew would have resisted, he would have beat him with that gun, or he just shot and killed him.”

Read: Search continues after woman goes overboard on cruise ship from Florida, Coast Guard says

Later that night, the same cameras watched as police officers arrived. The homeowner blames a faulty garage door in the building for the invasion and shares a warning with parents. “Teach your children, if you’re not home, you reiterate to them, Do not open this door,” he said. “Because once you open this door, you open yourself to a world of opportunity. He opened himself to a world of danger.

OPD, in a statement, said they could not provide any updates on the investigation. The homeowner said police have identified the pair, but no one has been arrested. “It was brazen. I had to sleep with one eye open when I closed. I get to my door. My door is ravaged. So now I’m thinking to myself, are you coming back to do me harm,” said McKnight. “Not only that, but they’ve changed a 15-year-old’s life, that for the rest of his life, it’s going to be ingrained in his mind that someone came into the home that I lived in, that I find safety in, and held me at gunpoint and robbed the home I lived in.”

Read: Defense expected to rest after woman accused of killing boyfriend testifies in court

Ring camera footage of Orlando home invasion (WFTV Only)

Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.

©2024 Cox Media Group