A quiet North Carolina street lives in fear after a mob of masked intruders broke into a family home and tortured the parents and children inside.
Residents on the streets of Harnett County say they are beefing up security in their homes after the Morales-Torres family was brutally attacked this month.
Investigators say they are still not sure why the family was so viciously attacked, with masked intruders stealing a cache of items after the two parents and three young children were tortured.
According to Harnett County Sheriff Wayne Coats, the robbers tormented the family with an agonizing method: heating a knife on the stove and stabbing it into the body.
Masked intruders terrifyingly attacked the home of this family of five in North Carolina, torturing parents and children while ransacking the property.
Maricela Morales, her husband and their three children were the target of this terrible experience, which according to her sister left them “suffering physically, emotionally and mentally.”
The ordeal occurred when the family of five was sitting in their garage at 2am with the door open and the intruders kept watch nearby.
The group then broke into the house and pointed a knife at the family, forcing Maricela Morales, her husband Arturo Torres and their three children to enter before carrying out the disgusting episode.
Coats said the savage torture method was the worst he had seen in his career and was an attempt “to get (the family) to tell them where their money and weapons were.”
The home was ransacked and the group stole several items, but they reportedly found no money or weapons inside the property.
After leaving the injured and terrified family inside the house, the masked mob fled the scene in two stolen vehicles.
Police have made no arrests as of this writing and did not immediately respond to a request for an update on the investigation.
TO GoFundMe has been launched by Morales’ sister to help the family cope with medical costs and repair their lives.
“There are no words to describe the pain and devastation our family is experiencing right now,” the fundraiser said.
‘My sister and her family unit are suffering physically, emotionally and mentally. Our extended family and close friends are devastated. “His home was vandalized and his peace of mind and security will never be the same.”
Residents on the street say they are terrified because the suspects are still at large and are investing in new home security measures.
With the suspects still at large, the quiet North Carolina street where they were attacked remains in suspense.
His neighbor Jeffery Miller said WRAL that he plans to beef up the security of his home and said he feels “very sorry for his family.”
“Yesterday I installed security,” he said. “I thought it was security, but now I need to have a camera.”
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Harnett County Sheriff’s Office tip line at 910-893-0300.
