Couple injured in St. Pete home invasion

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St. Pete police are investigating a home invasion that happened in broad daylight. Three men are accused of attacking a couple at their home Monday afternoon, stealing cash and running away.

It happened at a home on 25th Avenue.

Sitting on his front porch, Stojan Kupusovic spoke with anxiety while his son translated Bosnian to English. Through his gray hair, you can see the red line where he was hit with a gun.

"He said he don't care about money but why did they hit?" Kupusovic said.

Monday afternoon, St. Pete police say three men were sizing up Stojan's home, circling the neighborhood. They knocked. He answered. And then, they tried to knock him out.

"They hit the gun on the head three to four times," Kupusovic said.

Police say they pushed him to the ground and then forced his 76-year-old wife, Stana to the floor, striking her face.

"They entered through the bedroom, moving blankets, moving mattresses. They searched for money and they found the money," Kupusovic recalled.

Perhaps these criminals thought they'd found themselves some easy targets with an easy exit. Too bad they ran right into the path of a very effective surveillance camera at a business nearby.

"It captured three men running from the scene and also captured what we believe to be a 2005 gray Ford Escape that was seen circling the area before the incident and was seen driving eastbound on 24th Avenue North right before the three men ran from the home," said Rob Shaw, Spokesman of St. Petersburg Police.

The suspects are described as three black men are in their late teens to early twenties. Though police don't have any suspects in custody, the victims' son fears he's partly to blame.

"I feel terrible," said Ljubisa Kupusovic.

He said he sells cars and tires at the home. The men may have thought there was cash inside.

"Probably because of that, I no longer sell cars here, I no longer sell my tires either because I'm afraid they'll come back," Ljubisa Kupusovic said.

Ljubisa is planning to install surveillance cameras at the home so if there is a next time, police will get a nice close-up of the type of person willing to hurt an older couple for a few extra bucks.

"To know that an elderly couple were at home across the street from you and three men with guns go and knock them down and hurt them, that's the lowest of lows. When you hurt the elderly or hurt the children, that's just low," said neighbor Charlotte Cledelle.

Anyone with information is asked to call the St. Petersburg Police Department at 727-893-7780.