BLOOMINGDALE, Mich. — The Van Buren County Sheriff's Department is investigating a home invasion and armed robbery Thursday night. The incident happened at about 10:00pm in the 15000 block of 41st Street in Bloomingdale Township.
According to deputies, a 53-year-old man was in his home, watching TV, when someone knocked on his door. When he opened the door, four men barged in and pistol-whipped him in the head.
"They were wearing hoodie sweatshirts," said Van Buren County Sheriff Dan Abbott. "They had their hoods up and the draw string very tight to where you couldn’t make out their faces."
The suspects — three black men and one white man, all in their 20s — robbed the man at gunpoint and told him to open his safe. They then stole several hand guns and long guns and an unknown amount of cash. The assaulted him repeatedly, the victim told police, that it left him unconscious for about an hour. When he awoke, he couldn't find his phone.
"They disabled his home phone and stole his cell phone," said Sheriff Abbott. "So he ended up driving to a neighbors and calling 9-1-1 to report it."
He suffered cuts to his head and face. He was treated and released from a local hospital. Deputies are searching for the suspects and questioning whether the parties knew one other prior to the incident. They're asking anyone with information to call the Van Buren County Sheriff at 269-657-3101 as soon as possible.
"We believe they may have known who he was," said Sheriff Abbott. "It’s not confirmed. [It] could’ve just been a random thing. But it’s hard to say at this point."
