Two suspects, Elliott Knight and Michael Conley, were arrested in connection with a terrifying home invasion in Staten Island in December where a mother of two was pistol-whipped and her 5-year-old daughter was concussed. Knight has more than 30 arrests on his record, while Conley has 17 prior busts. They were part of a group of four men who targeted the home near Livingston Avenue and Queen Street in an attempt to steal money. Home security footage captured the masked men entering the residence after kicking in the door, brandishing handguns.
During the home invasion, the suspects hit the mother in the head with a gun and demanded money and jewelry from her. The woman, who asked to remain anonymous, recalled the terrifying experience of being alone in her home when the men entered, threatened her, and assaulted her. Despite looking for money inside the closet, the suspects were unable to find any and resorted to violence. The gunmen also brought the woman’s daughter and nanny into the room, further escalating the situation. The thieves eventually left with only cell phones after causing physical harm to the mother and daughter.
The mother and daughter were taken to the hospital following the incident, where the girl was diagnosed with a concussion. Authorities indicated that the robbers were not sophisticated in their operation, describing them as amateurish. Despite the violent nature of the crime, the suspects almost got themselves shot by a fourth person joining them during the home invasion. While investigators believe the robbery was targeted, they mentioned that the suspects did not seem familiar with the location and lacked proper planning.
The mother expressed her concern that the robbery was carefully planned, as the thieves appeared to know that her husband was not going to be home during the invasion. She believed that the perpetrators were capable of anything, including harming her young family, based on their actions and level of violence displayed during the attack. The suspects did not manage to locate the woman’s young son during the invasion, who slept through the entire ordeal. The lack of sophistication in the robbery did not prevent the suspects from inflicting harm and causing fear to the mother and her children. Police did not provide additional information about the suspects’ prior arrests or criminal histories.
