Neighbor called 911 and reported attempted armed robbery – but police have now accused Christopher Durbin, 26, of the crime
Georgia police seeking eighth suspect in home invasion where masked men held mother, daughter at gunpoint
Cordova police in Georgia have arrested a woman for the attempted armed robbery on a family that ended with the mother and her young daughter being held at gunpoint in their home.
The suspect, 30-year-old cousin with whom neighbours had suspected the incident, called 911 and said his wife and children were being held at gunpoint at an abandoned house in the city early on Saturday morning.
Krystal Durbin had called the 911 dispatcher to say that masked men had stormed the house and started trying to shoot her children. Durbin had described the men in dark clothing as looking like members of a gang.
Police spokesman Jim Gay said that in addition to Krystal Durbin’s report of an attempted robbery, they had also received at least 20 calls reporting possible break-ins at the same address in recent days.
They had received no other calls from the family at the home at that address and none of the other residents at the house had reported any activity out of the ordinary.
Police had been attempting to get information from Krystal Durbin throughout the day on Saturday.
They arrived at the home when it was about 3.30am on Saturday morning, saw no one, let the sound out and left, according to Gay.
Gay said police then started receiving more calls at 10am on Saturday morning about possible break-ins at the house. The information about the alleged armed robbery had come in at 3.30am.
Gay said police got a phone call around 5.30am from the son of Krystal Durbin, who was staying at a separate location, saying that he had heard people leaving the house when his parents had tried to wake him up.
Gay said police were able to locate the van the men had been driving and there was evidence of a break-in. Police said the group had entered the home through a basement window.
Police said they believe the suspects left the area and drove down Interstate 75 towards Columbus in a white Chevy extended cab pickup truck. Police say there have been at least three known break-ins at the Durbin family home since June.
Gay said that some family members might have been part of a gang. He said police had been aware of the men and Krystal Durbin, but he believed they had been in the house for less than an hour and had threatened only one person.
Christopher Durbin, 26, was charged with burglary and kidnapping and police were looking for the other five suspects.
Police say that based on information they received from Durbin they had now identified the last suspect. Christopher Durbin was being held in the Shelby County jail on Saturday morning in lieu of $20,000 bond.
