By Shavonne Potts
spotts@salisburypost.com
A Salisbury couple were tied up and threatened at gunpoint during a home invasion where two suspects stole a purse and a television.
The incident happened around 1:20 a.m. Tuesday at the home of Leroy Haskins Jr. 49, and his wife Mae Marlin, 57, of 218 W. 11th St.
The Salisbury Police Department received a call from Marlin, who said two men entered the home and bound her and Haskins.
When police arrived, they were met by Marlin whose hands were still bound with plastic ties. She’d gone to a neighbor’s house to call law enforcement, said Police Chief Mark Wilhelm.
Officers removed the binds from Marlin’s hands and went into the house. They found her husband on the couple’s bed, his hands and feet still bound.
The couple said they were asleep when the two men ó one armed with a handgun and the other with a shotgun ó came into their bedroom.
The men demanded money and drugs. Haskins and Marlin said they had neither.
One of the men put the handgun into Haskins’ mouth and again demanded money and drugs. Haskins told the men the couple didn’t have anything.
The man then put the gun into Marlin’s mouth and asked where the drugs and money were. She told them there was none.
The man hit Haskins in the head with his pistol and the robbers tied him up.
The gunman took Marlin’s purse, dumped the contents out and stole her cell phone.
“One gunman said to the other, ‘Let’s go. They ain’t got nothing,’ ” Wilhelm said.
The other gunman said he was not leaving without something. So they took the couple’s television, which was later recovered.
The men were seen leaving toward Jackson Street.
One suspect is described as a black male, 5-foot-10 and 170 pounds with dark skin and shoulder-length dreadlocks.
He was wearing a dark, multi-colored ski mask over his face and a dark shirt and pants. He carried a silver revolver.
The other suspect is 6 feet tall and 240 pounds, with medium skin tone and a bald head.
He had dark material covering his face and wore a white T-shirt and blue jeans. He was possibly carrying a shotgun.
Haskins was treated at the hospital for minor abrasions to his head.
Anyone with information about this crime is asked to contact the Salisbury Police Department at 704-638-5333 or Salisbury-Rowan Crime Stoppers at 1-866-639-5245.