RUTLAND, Vt. -
Police in Rutland are searching for two suspects in an alleged home invasion in a neighborhood that has been rife with criminal activity in recent years.
Eight victims called police over the weekend to report being robbed while walking on Cleveland Avenue. But that information was false. The victims were actually robbed at gunpoint while inside a home on Cleveland Ave.
Police have recently upped patrols in the neighborhood, where crime is on the rise.
"That whole northwest section over the last few months has shown an increase in quality of life issues," said Det. Sgt. Kevin Stevens of Rutland City Police. "You know, there's lots of empty houses. There's a lot of transient population there. Not the long-term, longtime residents that used to be there."
Police say they are unsure why the victims originally lied about their whereabouts. Only $7 and two cellphones were taken.
