Video Shows Masked Men Break Into Home, Assault 5-Year-Old

A 5-year-old girl was beaten with a firearm early Monday morning after masked assailants broke into her New York City home to carry out a robbery.

The New York City Police Department confirmed the incident in a report on Tuesday. At approximately 12:40 a.m. on Monday, the NYPD said, a group of four masked individuals in hooded sweatshirts, three of whom were armed, kicked down the door and entered a residence near Livingston Avenue and Queen Street in the borough of Staten Island.

Security footage that was obtained from the scene shows the suspects carrying out the robbery as they search through the home with flashlights. The suspects eventually confronted the family in the residence, demanding that they hand over their cash and jewelry. During the confrontation, two family members, a 33-year-old woman and a 5-year-old girl, were pistol-whipped, leaving them bleeding and with multiple cuts on their faces. The other family members, a 54-year-old and a 4-year-old boy, were not hurt.

The masked suspects eventually fled the home, making off with only a stolen cellphone. After first responders arrived at the scene, the two injured family members were transported to Staten Island University Hospital for treatment.

Reports from the past year have shown an uptick in major and violent crimes in Staten Island, with felony assaults up by roughly 30 percent in the first two months of 2023, compared with the same period in 2022. The homicide rate soared by 129 percent, according to September reports, with 16 this year compared with seven last year.

In the first two months of the year, the property crime rate also jumped, with a roughly 90 percent increase in robberies and an 80 percent jump in burglaries.

Newsweek reached out to the NYPD via email for comment.

Some of the surveillance footage obtained from the Staten Island residence was shared online by Staten Island Shmira, a volunteer emergency response team. A reward is being offered by the group for any information that leads to the arrest of the suspects.

"A $10,000 reward payable by Shmira Public Safety upon arrest of the persons responsible for the above listed crimes, see video/poster attached," Staten Island Shmira said in a post on X (formerly Twitter).

"Anyone with information regarding this incident, Call 911 & Shmira [at] 718-761-4444 immediately," the post added.

The NYPD is also requesting assistance from the public in identifying the suspects. Information can be provided to Crime Stoppers at (800) 577-TIPS. All calls will be kept confidential.