PEI

Home invasion victim says 1 attacker may have been a woman

A man required hospital treatment after being attacked when three people broke into his house early Sunday morning, P.E.I. RCMP say.

Pair specifically targeted, police believe

Signs of the break and enter were obvious when police arrived. (Nicole Williams/CBC)

A man required hospital treatment after being attacked when three people broke into his house in Queens County early Sunday morning, P.E.I. RCMP say.

His girlfriend thinks one of the attackers may have been a boy or a woman.

"The shorter one either hadn't hit puberty yet or it was a girl. They had a high, squeaky voice," the woman told CBC News.

The 23-year old woman, who asked not to be identified, described "huddling in the corner" as the attack took place, in the house they've been renting since December.

She said her boyfriend told her he thought all three attackers carried baseball bats.

RCMP responded to a 911 call at about 5:30 a.m. on Sunday. When they arrived at the home, on the Donaldston Road near Tracadie Cross, there was no one there, but "signs of a break and enter and an assault were obvious."

RCMP located the two people who lived in the home at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Charlottetown a short time later.

They told police that three unknown suspects entered their home while they were sleeping. The suspects hit the man with baseball bats several times, then stole cash and some other items before fleeing, police said.

The woman told CBC News the stolen items included her cellphone and some jewellery. She said she drove her boyfriend to hospital and that he was bleeding from a cut on the top of his head.

The man was treated for his injuries and released from hospital. The woman was not injured.

They left their pet dog locked in a bedroom while they went to hospital, according to the woman. She said the dog barely barked during the attack.

Attackers' faces hidden

RCMP said they believe the victims were specifically targeted in this incident and that there is no risk to the general public from the attackers.

The attackers had their faces covered, according to RCMP.

"Any time somebody breaks into somebody's residence, [it's] a very serious offence," said Cst. Gavin Moore, RCMP Major Crime Unit. "An aggravating factor is violence within that break and enter."

The woman told CBC News she had no idea who the attackers are or why the couple's home was targeted.

RCMP are asking anyone with information related to the attack to contact the P.E.I. RCMP major crime office or Crime Stoppers.

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