Uwchlan Township Residents On Edge Following 3 Unsolved Home Invasions, Armed Robberies

UWCHLAN TOWNSHIP, Pa. (CBS) -- In quiet, rural Uwchlan Township, Chester County, word of three unsolved home invasions and armed robberies has left for some sleepless nights.

"I think Uwchlan Township has a very low crime rate," Rob Darling said.

Generally, Darling is correct.

But police say just down the street from him last week, it was something out of the usual. There, two armed men stormed a home. Two adults and two children were home.

Detectives say the robbers demanded money and electronics.

"And one of the assailants was not only armed with a handgun, but armed with a stun gun-style weapon as well, and actually used that on one of the adults in the home," Chief Scott Alexander said.

This latest case from Aster Place has striking similarities to a home invasion and robbery in early November along Byers Road in Uwchlan Township and a third case that happened in Upper Uwchlan Township in October.

In one instance, the homeowners were tied up, police say.

"Clearly we have some very dangerous individuals out there who are armed with handguns who are not afraid to go into the home of albeit a total stranger and rob them at gun point," Alexander said.

Police say the robbers wear masks and gloves. The victims in each of the cases have been unable to provide a description good enough to use. Word of the home invasions has changed some habits.

"As long as I was in the house, the door was unlocked, go to bed, lock the doors," Darling said. "And now I'm locking the doors all the time."

Police aren't linking all of these cases together, but their strongest hunch is the robberies aren't at random. The victims were not seriously hurt.