UPDATE: Victim beaten in home invasion

Published 11:00 am Wednesday, October 6, 2010

A local man was beaten on the head during a home invasion robbery on Lincoln Avenue in Live Oak Tuesday, LOPD Det. Sgt. Ron Shaw said.

Jorge Ruis-Almarez, 32, received a laceration to the head from a wooden handle, possibly from a shovel, when five intruders forced their way into his home at 423 Lincoln Avenue around 4:35 p.m.

Ruis-Almarez told police that he was eating when two men and three women ordered him to sit on the couch and demanded money.

“He refused and when they realized he wasn’t going to get any money one (male) hit him on the head,” said Shaw.

The five intruders then grabbed several jars of coins and fled on foot in an unknown direction.

Ruis-Almarez was treated at Shands Live Oak for non-life threatening injuries.

Shaw said that a trespassing incident at the Jiffy Store at Mussey Avenue and Duval Street shortly after the home invasion might be related, but doubts it.

“I’m not sure it’s involved,” he said.

The home invasion fits the pattern of previous such crimes here, in which members of the Hispanic community were targeted by African American attackers. More than 20 such crimes were reported in Live Oak in 2009. The five intruders in this case were all described as African American.

One male suspect is described as 16 to 25 years of age, 5’6” to 5’10”, 140 to 180 pounds wearing green shorts, a blue T-shirt, with a beard and short hair. The second male is described as the same age 5’8” to 6’1”, 165 to 205 pounds wearing a black T-shirt, black pants, a mustache and beard and short hair.

All of the females were described as 16 to 25 years of age. One was 5’2” to 5’5”, 95 to 110 pounds wearing a blue T-shirt and pants with shoulder length hair. Another was 5’5” to 5’10”, 100 to 115 pounds wearing a white shirt, black sports bra with shoulder length hair, and the last female is 5’6” to 6’1”, 100 to 115 pounds wearing a white T-shirt and pants with shoulder length hair.

Shaw said none of the suspects were said to be wearing masks, as was common with the other home invasion robberies.

Shaw did say that police have received differing stories from Ruis-Almarez and will be interviewing him again.