News 12 at 6 o'clock, July 2, 2010

RICHMOND CTY, Ga. --- Home invasions are on the rise, and Richmond County is no exception. They are different from the typical robbery or burglary because the intruder actually confronts or comes into contact with the homeowner or resident. Home invasions are especially frightening because the robber may not care who is home or who gets hurt.

Richmond County reports at least fifteen robberies or burglaries in the past two weeks during which the victims were at home. Sometimes it seems like the suspect intended to meet the victim; other times they were surprised to find them home.Usually, there is no way to predict a home invasion.

Lieutenant Calvin Chew says there's two main reasons why a criminal actually would want to meet his victim: "The main motivations are drugs and money." Other reasons may include that the robber wants the homeowner to open a safe or show him or her where their most valuable items are.

The victim is injured in about half of home invasions. News 12 talked with Paul Dunbar after his home was invaded; he was shot in the throat." He's hollering wheres the money, wheres the money, wheres the money. I'm like man- I'm gushing blood. I'm like what are you talking about man?"

Aisha Palmer's home was also invaded this month, forcing her to take refuge in a closet. "I was shaking. I was scared. I wasn't crying but I had tears in my eyes...I thought, 'Oh my God, I'm about to die.'"

And these are only a few victims from recent weeks. Investigators say there has been an increase. "Usually in the summertime you see it more than you do any other time," said Lt. Chew. "In Richmond County recently we've been getting five or six a month. It's stepping up a little bit."

But these numbers have been even higher in past two weeks. Dozens of doors kicked in, victims coming face to face with the intruder. Chew points out there doesn't seem to be a pattern.

"To be honest we haven't (seen a pattern). It's all over the CSRA, from upper class neighborhoods to lower class. It's everywhere." Lt. Chew says they really can't predict where exactly home invasions will occur because they see such a variety of targets.

The burglar may be in and out in seconds, but Chew says they are catching up. "We've been lucky in the sense that we've caught a lot of our home invasion suspects. However, it can be difficult because a lot of the time their identity is concealed and they're in and out of a home within seconds."

It's not always about money. According to the US Department of Justice, 60% of rapes occur during home invasions. Other rare times they are just trying to harm the victim or kill them, not necessarily steal anything.

Dunbar says, "I don't want anyone else to even have to experience what I went through because they are bad news."

Richmond County seems to differ from national reports in some ways. According to country-wide statistics, the suspect doesn't usually know the victim. However, investigators in Richmond County say the suspect seems to know the victim nine out of ten times. Chew explains that is likely because they handle so many drug-related home invasions; the suspect knows or thinks he knows the victim has drugs and breaks in specifically for them.