NC-Family of Five Tortured in Home Invasion, Harnett County, June 15, 2024

[realanastasia]

Harnett County neighborhood terrified after family of 5, including children, tortured during home invasion

Five family members were tortured with hot metal during a home invasion last weekend - a crime that Harnett County Sheriff Wayne Coats calls the most heinous he's ever investigated.

www.wral.com

Family are horrifically tortured in their home by masked intruders

Residents say they are beefing up their home security after the terrifying ordeal, with police so far making no arrests as the mob of masked intruders remains at large.

www.dailymail.co.uk

“The terrifying ordeal came as the family-of-five were sat in their garage at 2 am with the door open, and the intruders were staked out nearby.

The group then stormed the home and held the family at knifepoint, forcing Maricela Morales, her husband Arturo Torres, and their three children inside before carrying out the sickening episode.

Coats said the savage torture method was the worst he had ever seen in his career, and was an attempt 'to get (the family) to tell them where their money and guns were.'

The home was ransacked, and the group stole a number of items, but reportedly did not find any money or guns inside the property.”

 

[Chris L]

Harnett County neighborhood terrified after family of 5, including children, tortured during home invasion

Five family members were tortured with hot metal during a home invasion last weekend - a crime that Harnett County Sheriff Wayne Coats calls the most heinous he's ever investigated.

www.wral.com

Family are horrifically tortured in their home by masked intruders

Residents say they are beefing up their home security after the terrifying ordeal, with police so far making no arrests as the mob of masked intruders remains at large.

www.dailymail.co.uk

“The terrifying ordeal came as the family-of-five were sat in their garage at 2 am with the door open, and the intruders were staked out nearby.

The group then stormed the home and held the family at knifepoint, forcing Maricela Morales, her husband Arturo Torres, and their three children inside before carrying out the sickening episode.

Coats said the savage torture method was the worst he had ever seen in his career, and was an attempt 'to get (the family) to tell them where their money and guns were.'

The home was ransacked, and the group stole a number of items, but reportedly did not find any money or guns inside the property.”

I always ask this, but I wonder if any neighboring homes' Ring cameras or CCTV would have picked up anything, i.e., the robbers approaching the house etc. This is too scary. When cams in our area pick up strange activity, people post it on the Nextdoor forum or the community's Facebook as an FYI to the rest of us.

 

[Knox]

Investigators say they are still unsure why the family was targeted so viciously, with the masked intruders stealing a cache of items after the two parents and three young children were tortured.

The terrifying ordeal came as the family-of-five were sat in their garage at 2 am with the door open, and the intruders were staked out nearby.

Family are horrifically tortured in their home by masked intruders

Residents say they are beefing up their home security after the terrifying ordeal, with police so far making no arrests as the mob of masked intruders remains at large.

www.dailymail.co.uk

Wow, how traumatic for this young family, even tortured the littles!!! But I do have questions. Curious why the couple, with their three young kids, were in the garage with the door open at 2:00 AM? The torture tools - a fork and a butter knife, are somewhat unusual also?

Hopefully whoever did this is caught quickly!! Sort of sounds like they may have been watched?

 

[Knox]

Keep Wayne Coats Sheriff​

On June 15, 2024 at approximate 2:00 a.m., Harnett County Deputies responded to a home invasion in the western area of Harnett County (Yorkshire Subdivision). According to the victims, 5 or 6 unknown black male suspects approached the residence while the victims were sitting in their garage. The victims were forced into the residence where they were assaulted. The victims consisted of a husband and wife (owners of the residence), their daughter and a male friend. The husband, wife and daughter are being treated at UNC Chapel Hill for non-life-threatening injuries.

The suspects stole two vehicles from the residence. One of the vehicles was recovered in the western area of Harnett County and the other, a grey 4-door Honda Accord has not been located. The photo attached is the vehicle that the suspects arrived in. It is a silver/grey Dodge Challenger. It appears the rims are black. Due to the violent nature of this incident we ask that you please share this information and urge you to contact the Harnett County Sheriff’s Office tip-line at 910-893-0300 if you have any information about this crime.



Some neighbors are commenting at link.

 

[bombardier]

Keep Wayne Coats Sheriff​

On June 15, 2024 at approximate 2:00 a.m., Harnett County Deputies responded to a home invasion in the western area of Harnett County (Yorkshire Subdivision). According to the victims, 5 or 6 unknown black male suspects approached the residence while the victims were sitting in their garage. The victims were forced into the residence where they were assaulted. The victims consisted of a husband and wife (owners of the residence), their daughter and a male friend. The husband, wife and daughter are being treated at UNC Chapel Hill for non-life-threatening injuries.

The suspects stole two vehicles from the residence. One of the vehicles was recovered in the western area of Harnett County and the other, a grey 4-door Honda Accord has not been located. The photo attached is the vehicle that the suspects arrived in. It is a silver/grey Dodge Challenger. It appears the rims are black. Due to the violent nature of this incident we ask that you please share this information and urge you to contact the Harnett County Sheriff’s Office tip-line at 910-893-0300 if you have any information about this crime.



Some neighbors are commenting at link.

IMO i hope police is looking at the male friend who was also present at the time. the way this article is written makes it sound like he wasnt?? admitted to hospital or at least had been released quickly. was he physically assaulted to the same degree as the family?

 

[Knox]

IMO i hope police is looking at the male friend who was also present at the time. the way this article is written makes it sound like he wasnt?? admitted to hospital or at least had been released quickly. was he physically assaulted to the same degree as the family?

Neighbor comments at the facebook link above, have me convinced this is real, everyone is shocked. Whether it ends up there is a connection and not entirely random - remains to be seen.

I'm curious about the picture of the Dodge Challenger, who took it?

 

[LadyL]

Neighbor comments at the facebook link above, have me convinced this is real, everyone is shocked. Whether it ends up there is a connection and not entirely random - remains to be seen.

I'm curious about the picture of the Dodge Challenger, who took it?

looks like pic taken from someone's dashcam, maybe even LE's?

 

[Chris L]

I've found a number of articles about this event and haven't found consistent facts about the family.

Some newspapers say it was a family of 2 parents and 3 small children, sitting in the garage before they were attacked.

The sheriff's report which was posted on Facebook said that, present in the garage were the parents, their daughter and daughter's male friend.
The husband, wife and daughter were treated at UNC Chapel Hill for non-life-threatening injuries. The male friend was not treated. He was lucky but was he tortured but didn't need treatment or did the intruders decide not to torture him?

If only the parents and daughter were tortured, and only those 3 were treated at the hospital, what about the refs to small children? How old were their 3 children? What's up w the daughter's male friend? Forgive me if I sound a bit confused but I am, considering the inconsistency of facts.

 

[tlcya]

The incident occurred during the early morning hours of Saturday, June 15, in Spout Springs, a census-designated place roughly an hour south of Raleigh, according to law enforcement. Sheriff’s deputies arrived sometime after 2 a.m. to find the family in dire straits.
[snip]
On the night in question, the wife, husband, their daughter and one of her friends were hanging out in the garage with the door open when five or six men showed up and forced the family inside the house, the sheriff’s office said, according to Raleigh-based NBC affiliate WRAL. The couple’s other child was ultimately caught up in the attack as well.
[snip]
At least two of the children were assaulted, Coats added.
Family duct-taped and tortured with hot metal by group of men during home invasion: Police

Jeffrey Miller, who lives two doors down from the family and has lived in the neighborhood for 16 years, told WRAL that he "thought nothing like that would ever happen."

"I'm so sorry for the family," Miller said, adding that he installed security measures at his own home.
North Carolina Family of 5 Tortured with Hot Metal During Home Invasion: Police

terrifying.

 

[realanastasia]

If only the parents and daughter were tortured, and only those 3 were treated at the hospital, what about the refs to small children? How old were their 3 children? What's up w the daughter's male friend? Forgive me if I sound a bit confused but I am, considering the inconsistency of facts.

I think the description I read in all the sources above was “young children” rather than “small children” although i may be wrong (or the reporting might’ve been updated since its original publication).

If I understand correctly, the five victims are 2 adults (parents), 1 daughter (age not specified beyond “young” but I am guessing she may be in the 14-21 age range because she was up “hanging out” with her parents in the wee hours of the morning) and 1 (presumably similarly-aged) male friend of the daughter, PLUS 1 additional child (age again unspecified—IMO likely younger than the child who was in the garage since this child was in the house, presumably asleep, when the home invasion occurred).

 

[Trublue21]

I think the house and its occupants were targeted and whatever the intruders were looking for was probably illegal. They use the word “tortured”. That tells me a lot. This house wasn’t picked at random. This is just my opinion.

 

[iamshadow21]

I think the house and its occupants were targeted and whatever the intruders were looking for was probably illegal. They use the word “tortured”. That tells me a lot. This house wasn’t picked at random. This is just my opinion.

There have been cases like this where the perpetrators got the wrong house and the occupants were hurt or killed because they couldn't give the perpetrators what they were demanding.

MOO

 

[tlcya]

Maricela Morales, her husband and three children were all targeted in the horrific ordeal, which her sister said left them 'suffering physically, emotionally and mentally'
[snip]
Their neighbor Jeffery Miller told WRAL that he plans to beef up his home security, and said he feels 'just so sorry for their family.'

'Yesterday I had security installed,' he said. 'I thought I was the security, but now I need to have a camera.'

Anyone with information is urged to contact the Harnett County Sheriff's Office tip line at 910-893-0300.
Family are horrifically tortured in their home by masked intruders

 

[FansBlowing]

The house does not say we have millions of dollars. They probably have a large mortgage too.

 

[FansBlowing]

Why do the news articles say "Maricela Morales, her husband and three children"? Why not give the husband's name too?

 

[tlcya]

Why do the new articles say "Maricela Morales, her husband and three children"? Why not give the husband's name too?

It was Maricela's sister that was speaking to them and they didn't ask or she didn't volunteer? It is the same sister that started the funding page for the family. Press may have reached out and she provided her sister's name.

 

[vls12345]

Have LE gotten fingerprints or DNA from anywhere in the house?

I was going to ask the same re: the Dodge Challenger the perps supposedly drove to the scene. An early article made me think they stole the family's two vehicles but left the Challenger. But the People article makes it seem like they also took the Challenger when they left. If they did not leave the Challenger, where did LE get the specific photo they released? If they left the Challenger, were LE able to get any clues from it, including if it had also been stolen?

Did one of the victims call 911 or did someone else find them, then call 911?

@iamshadow21 suggested that the perps may have gotten the wrong house. Another option could be they targeted the house due to previous owners there (not the current ones).

How long has the family lived in/owned this house? Are they one of the first homes on the street? Are there multiple exits or is it a dead-end street?

Also, random note. Fort Liberty (previously named Fort Bragg) is nearby (per wikipedia, linked below). Supposedly 17%+ of the town are military (according to the neighborhood scout page, linked below).

Family duct-taped and tortured with hot metal by group of men during home invasion: Police

"They took and put a knife and fork – like a butter knife – on top of the stove and heated it up and they just started sticking it to the bodies."

lawandcrime.com

North Carolina Family of 5 Tortured with Hot Metal During Home Invasion: Police

A North Carolina family was tortured with hot metal and robbed during a home invasion by a group of five men on June 15, local authorities said.

people.com

Spout Springs, North Carolina - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

Spout Springs Sanford, NC 27332, Neighborhood Profile - NeighborhoodScout

Full real estate market analytics for Spout Springs in Sanford for investors, appraisers and lenders. Exclusive trends, forecasts and reports for every address.

www.neighborhoodscout.com

 

[vls12345]

The Harnett County Sheriff’s Office has a crime mapping tool on their webpage. Haven't had time to investigate it yet but am posting here in case it's of interest.

LexisNexis® Community Crime Map

www.communitycrimemap.com

A Message from Sheriff Wayne Coats // Harnett County, North Carolina

www.harnettsheriff.com

 

[Knox]

Why do the news articles say "Maricela Morales, her husband and three children"? Why not give the husband's name too?

I think the DM is the one who likely first identified MM thru her linkedin profile. That is not her married name, but unlike the media - I'm not going to reveal a violent crime victim by name, nor her address.

 

[Knox]

Any updates on this case? Was anyone ever arrested?