Five people are facing multiple charges after a home invasion and burglary where five other people were injured. Police say they were investigating a call of a burglary in progress and found five people leaving a home on the 1000 block of North Michigan Street.
Police found the two residents of the home, a woman, and two children injured inside. According to police reports, the residents of the home had both been cut in the neck. They were last reported in serious, but stable, condition. The report also says the visiting woman and one of the children were cut, and the other child was hit by a blunt object. The visitor and her children have all been treated and released.
FOX28 spoke to a family friend Thursday night following the home invasion. "I do feel safe here normally," said Brian Riggens who knows the victims. "There's word of break-ins here and there but nothing to this extreme...They're good people. I cannot believe that this could happen to somebody like this."
The five suspects: 47-year-old Walter Neely, 21-year-old Khawana Lamar, 19-year-old Lee Griffin, 18-year-old Nate Coley, and 17-year-old Gemari Cotton, have all been charged with five criminal counts. Those charges are two counts of robbery and three counts of burglary. All of them are class A felonies. Cotton is being charged as an adult.
All five defendants are being held at the St. Joseph County Jail on $1 million bond.
Walter Neely (Courtesy St. Joseph County Police)
Khawana Lamar (Courtesy St. Joseph County Police)
Lee Griffin (Courtesy St. Joseph County Police)
Nate Coley (Courtesy St. Joseph County Police)
Gemari Cotton (Courtesy St. Joseph County Police)
