AURORA, Colo. — Police said on Wednesday they are seeking the public's help in identifying an armed and masked person who knocked the doors of two Aurora homes in one night.
The person knocked on the doors minutes apart around 11:45 p.m. Friday in a neighborhood near South Peoria Street and South Parker Road, according to Aurora Police.
“Two incidents, very close to one another, people are concerned. It’s concerning for us. That’s why we need the public’s assistance," said Agent Matthew Longshore, Public Information Officer with Aurora Police.
"So it could have been random, we don't know, we're going to let the police do their job and see what they can figure out," said David Johnson, whose home was hit Friday by the masked individual.
Johnson is still puzzling over a scary situation just outside his front door last Friday.
He and his wife were sleeping when just before midnight, someone in a mask started pounding on their door. Cameras outside caught the encounter on video.
"Didn't think much of it at first but then, went back and looked at the camera footage and saw this rather sketchy looking person dressed all in black except for the white ski mask pounding on our door with all our lights off, late at night," Johnson said. "But then when we looked closer, we saw they had a gun in their hands and that's when we called the police and said, this is a real issue."
> Watch the full surveillance video:
By the time they were up, the masked person with the gun had taken off.
They were only here two, maybe three minutes at most, according to Johnson. And neither the cameras outside nor the barking dogs inside their home deterred this individual.
“Yeah, it is pretty surprising. Not only do we have obvious cameras, a camera doorbell, a rather obvious camera in the socket but it’s very well-lit at night. It’s one of the brightest lit houses on the street so it is rather peculiar," Johnson said.
"We're trying to catch this person. A neighborhood is on edge after this happened just doors down from each other," Longshore said.
Longshore said this strange man struck not one but two homes last Friday night.
"On one of the incidents on Friday, one of the homeowners opened the door just slightly and this person tries barging inside," he said. "Thankfully, they were able to close the door and lock it before they were able to get inside."
Longshore said the person in the mask did call out the homeowner's daughter's name, leaving concerns the homes hit weren't random.
"So that's something we're looking into that they might know that these people live there, that there might be some sort of connection," Longshore said. "So detectives are working to kind of piece those things together."
Johnson's hopeful police can catch the person beneath the mask.
"Yes, hopefully they do," Johnson said.
And until then, he's urging his neighbors to stay vigilant.
"I wanted to inform my neighbors, I’m a board member of this neighborhood and it’s my concern that everybody stay safe. So, I’m sharing the message of please don’t open your door for somebody you don’t know," Johnson said. "Be very careful."
Aurora Police asked the community to help identify this person and to make a note of the person's "unique" shoes, vehicle and a necklace or lanyard around their neck. Anyone with information can contact Metro Denver Crime Stoppers at 720-913-7867 or metrodenvercrimestoppers.com.
Police also urged people to remain vigilant and never open the door to strangers. They asked that any suspicious activity be reported to law enforcement and suggested homeowners keep exteriors well-lit, install motion lights and invest in a video doorbell or similar surveillance device.
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