I am glad your roommates aquaintenances are ok.  Sounds kind of freaky.  Was the front door unlocked?  Rang the doorbell? Do you have any more info on this?

Thanks from me/my family, we will be extra cautious and prepared.

Suspected robber was shot after struggle with residents

By SARA REED
[email protected]


Fort Collins police have released the name of the suspect shot Wednesday during an early-morning home invasion.

Cruz Garrison, 18, remains in stable condition at Poudre Valley Hospital after being shot in the side and arm by a man whose apartment Garrison was trying to rob.

Shortly after 2 a.m. Wednesday, Cruz entered a home in the 1200 block of Remington Street through an unlocked door, armed with a shotgun, according to police spokeswoman Rita Davis. After demanding money or drugs of the two residents to no avail, Garrison took the residents and attempted to break into an adjoining apartment, Davis said.

Garrison then threatened to shoot the female resident and the male resident began to wrestle with the suspect, Davis said, before the apartment resident emerged with his own shotgun.

The armed resident told Garrison to drop his weapon. Garrison did and started to leave but turned back around and the resident shot him, Davis said.

Garrison and Gerald Batrez, 18, were taken into custody a short time later, and Robert Cruz and Mitchell Rosales were arrested later Wednesday afternoon.

Garrison, Cruz, Batrez and Rosales also are suspects in two home invasions Monday night.

Between 8:15 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. Monday, two men armed with shotguns entered a house in the 600 block of Zuni Circle through an unlocked door, Davis said. The men demanded cash and valuables from the two residents and then locked the residents in a closet while they searched the house, Davis said.

The suspects moved the residents to a storage room in the basement and told them to stay there, Davis said. After waiting about 15 minutes, the residents climbed through a window and called police from a neighbor's house, Davis said. Nothing was taken from the home and no one was injured, Davis said.

At 9:15 p.m., police received a call that three men, at least two of whom had shotguns, entered a house in the 1600 block of Hastings Drive through an unlocked door, Davis said, and forced the four residents into the garage.

The suspects again demanded money and valuables from the residents, but quickly fled because they thought someone had called police, Davis said. No one was injured and two cell phones were taken in the incident, Davis said.

Cruz, Batrez and Rosales all remain in custody at the Larimer County Detention Center, Rosales and Cruz on suspicion of robbery, kidnapping and menacing and Batrez on suspicion of robbery.

Originally published September 10, 2005