Intruders invaded two Norwalk homes and assaulted residents within 40 minutes early Tuesday afternoon.
The victims were punched and in one case put in a chokehold and tied up, but did not suffer injuries serious enough to require hospitalization, according to Lt. James Peterson of the Los Angele Sheriff's Norwalk station.
The first invasion occurred shortly before 1 p.m. in the 12700 block of Larwin Road. Robbery was the apparent motive of two men who bound the 21 year old family member who was home. The intruders were run off by a good Samaritan neighbor who went over to check and interrupted the robbery, according to the neighbor's spouse. She said one of the intruders came through her home before disappearing down the road.
Shortly after 1:30 p.m., a second invasion occurred less than two miles away in the 11900 block of Olive Street. A lone intruder apparently used a tool to make entry into an apartment and punched the resident in the face, Peterson said. The victim told deputies she did not recognize the attacker.
One apartment neighbor said in recent weeks there had been previous episodes of a prowler trying the doors of apartments and parked cars.
The suspects in both of Tuesday's invasions got away. The cases were being investigated as separate crimes, but authorities have not ruled out the possibility of a connection.
