Four suspects arrested in bizarre home invasion robbery

Four suspects have been arrested after a bizarre, early-morning home invasion in Lincoln Heights on Saturday that ended with a resident tying up two of the armed men.

The suspects, armed with a shotgun and three handguns, allegedly entered a house on the 2600 block of Alta Street in Lincoln Heights, said Officer Norma Eisenman of the Los Angeles Police Department. The resident, who was the only person home at the time, saw the suspects on a home surveillance system and called 911 about 2:40 a.m., she said.

As police and SWAT units arrived, one suspect was seen fleeing the scene, and was immediately apprehended by officers.

Two other suspects remained in the house, while the fourth ran and hid, Eisenman said.

The two men inside then allegedly told the resident to identify them to police as victims too, and convinced the resident to tie them up in the home, according to police.

The resident obliged, and fled the home, telling the police what had happened while the two suspects remained tied up inside.

Police did not immediately enter the residence, Eisenman said. After some time the suspects “got tired of waiting” and emerged.

They were arrested shortly thereafter, and the fourth suspect was found hiding in the backyard by a canine unit.

Officers recovered a shotgun and three handguns, Eisenman said, but it is unclear whether they were loaded.

No one was harmed, and all four suspects were in custody by about 7:30 a.m., said Eisenman.

“They came out, still tied up, thinking that we were going to believe they were victims also,” Eisenman said. “That’s what you call felony stupid.”

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christine.maiduc@latimes.com