Four to five suspects in their early to mid-20s forced their way into a home on Erie's east side Tuesday afternoon, confronted four people inside, rifled through their pockets and made off with cell phones, according to police. No injuries were reported in the incident, which unfolded shortly before 3:30 p.m. on Zimmerman Road.
Erie police are now searching for the suspects involved in the reported home-invasion robbery, according to Erie Times-News. Deputy Chief Ken Kensill told the outlet that the group entered the residence and confronted the four occupants before going through their pockets and taking their phones. Kensill did not provide further detail on the suspects' identities in the account relayed by the paper.
A Familiar Pattern on Erie's East Side
Tuesday's robbery adds to a string of home invasions reported around Erie in recent years, each involving multiple suspects forcing entry and confronting residents. In October 2020, three suspects armed with at least one gun forced their way into a residence and stole cash after confronting a 22-year-old woman, a 26-year-old man and a 23-year-old woman, taking a purse and cell phones with no injuries reported, per the same outlet's earlier coverage.
A similar pattern played out in November 2022, when four suspects forced their way into an apartment in the 1400 block of East 19th Street. One of the suspects pulled out a gun while the others took cash from the victim's pants during the assault and robbery, the report noted.
More Recent Incidents Across the City
In January 2025, a reported home invasion on Erie's west side left at least one person roughed up after four people were found inside the residence at the time, Deputy Chief Rick Lorah said. Investigators in that case said they were interviewing a number of people and planning to search two houses as the inquiry progressed.
Gunfire turned up in a separate case this past May, when an attempted home invasion in the 900 block of East 25th Street left bullet holes in the home and shell casings scattered outside, though no one was struck, according to a report from yourerie.com. And in June, Erie police charged a city woman and continued searching for other suspects in a reported home-invasion robbery and assault that reportedly stemmed from a drug overdose, according to goerie.com.
No arrests or charges have been announced in connection with Tuesday's robbery on Zimmerman Road, and police have not said whether any weapons were involved. The investigation remains open as detectives work to identify the four to five suspects described by Kensill.
