Police arrested two men and are searching for a woman in connection with a home invasion Thursday morning on the East Side.
The men are suspected of impersonating police officers during the crime, shortly after 2:30 a.m. in the 7400 block of East Beverly Drive, said Lt. Greg Roberts of the Tucson Police Department’s home invasion unit.
Ralph T. Jessup, 56, and Craig R. Erhorn, 23, were arrested Friday afternoon and Saturday morning respectively, a police news release said.
Police are searching for a third suspect, Katie E. Fought, 31, the release said. Police did not say what role she is suspected of playing in the home invasion.
There is a “strong possibility” that the group make up a home invasion crew responsible for committing other crimes in the Tucson area, Roberts said.
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Police gave the following account of the incident:
Home invaders, armed with handguns and wearing masks and police logos, forced their way into the house on East Beverly Thursday morning.
They restrained the four people in the house and started stealing property from the home. They loaded the stolen property into a victim’s vehicle, which they also stole.
No one was injured.
Detectives arrested Jessup Friday afternoon at his home in the 5900 block of South Rex Stravenue.
Officers found Erhorn Saturday morning at an apartment complex on the East Side. He resisted arrest and barricaded himself inside his apartment.
SWAT team members and hostage negotiators were called to help in the arrest. Erhorn surrendered shortly afterward.
Police said they found a large amount of stolen property at both Jessup and Erhorn’s homes. They also found smoke grenades and a homemade pipe bomb in Erhorn’s apartment, Roberts said.
The Explosives Ordnance Disposal Unit was called out to safely get rid of the bomb.
Jessup and Erhorn are each charged with four counts of armed robbery, aggravated robbery, kidnapping and aggravated assault.
Jessup is also charged with two counts of auto theft and Erhorn with one count of auto theft.
There have been 121 home invasions in Tucson this year, including 92 since the creation of the police home invasion unit in April, said Officer Linda Galindo, a Tucson Police Department spokeswoman.
Anyone with information about where Fought is should call 88-CRIME or 911.
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