Residents Frightened After Highland Park Home Invasion And Robbery

HIGHLAND PARK, Ill. (CBS) – A brazen home invasion and robbery has residents of one Highland Park neighborhood on edge.

Shortly before 10 p.m. Friday, two armed suspects forced their way into a home on Winona Road, fired shots, and then tied up the people inside before robbing them of jewelry and other valuables, police said.

The street was crawling with police going door to door.

"The police officer came to the door, knocked on the door to make sure I was OK," Christie Lullo told CBS 2's Mai Martinez. "He was knocking on everybody's doors just checking to see if everybody was OK."

Lullo says the officer would only say there was a robbery in the neighborhood. It wasn't until today that she learned it was a home invasion.

One of the victims freed himself and called police, but by the time officers arrived, the suspects were gone.

"I was up all night. I couldn't sleep," Lullo said.

It was difficult for Irina Gekhter and her family to sleep as well.

"It definitely made me a little nervous, especially hearing about all the robberies that have been happening in Highland Park and Buffalo Grove area," she said.

Gekhter wonders if the location of their neighborhood and its large homes might be making it a target.

"It's pretty close to highway 94, so it's easy access get in get out," she said.

Two of the home-invasion victims told Martinez they are doing OK but declined comment.

Highland Park recently alerted residents in a bulletin that burglaries have increased in the northern suburbs, as people have been away during the holidays.