By Shelley Smith
ssmith@salisburypost.com
ROCKWELL – A father and son were tied up with duct tape, and the father beaten on Dec. 31 after three masked men kicked in the door of their Adolphus Road home, pointing guns at them and demanding money, the Rowan County Sheriff’s Office reported today.
According to authorities, deputies responded to the home of Robert Heilig and Quantez Eccles, after the father and son reported that the three men entered their home shortly before 9 p.m. New Year’s Eve.
Heilig, who was hit in the face, bleeding from his nose and missing a tooth, was treated at the scene after EMS arrived. He said a struggle took place in his bedroom before he was duct taped to a chair with his son, Eccles, in the living room.
Heilig stated that the males forced entry through the front door, and he was hit in the face with a gun.One of the men asked him to, “give me the money,” authorities said. Heilig told police one of the men almost immediately said to the others that they had the wrong house, and that they were looking for “Big Boy.”
The men eventually tied the two up using black duct tape they had brought with them, and left the home.
The suspects were all armed, and held the guns sideways like “thugs in movies,” Heilig told authorities.
One of the men was light skinned, with short hair and a thin build and wore an orange sweatshirt, and held a nickel-plated revolver.
The other two black males wore masks, wool gloves and were carrying black automatic handguns.
One of the men, who had dreadlocks, did most of the talking, ordering the other two around, Heilig told authorities.
Investigators found Heilig’s tooth on the floor in the bedroom, as well as two guns and scattered pills.
The Rowan County Sheriff’s Office is investigating, and urges anyone with information to call Salisbury-Rowan Crimestoppers, 1-866-639-5245.