INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — Robbers held three people at gunpoint during a home invasion Tuesday night, according to a 911 call and a Sheriff’s Office press release.
Tuesday night, a few minutes before Midnight, the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office received a short 911 call from the victim of a home invasion robbery, according to a Sheriff’s Office press release.
The female caller stated words to the effect of “My roommate is being held at gunpoint.” Returned calls by public safety dispatchers went unanswered.
Authorities stated deputies were dispatched to the home in the 1400 block of 23rd Avenue SW in south Vero Beach. They met with the victims – one male and one female – who indicated their home, had been broken into by two masked suspects, one of whom had a handgun.
The press release said that the male victim was struck in the face at least once with the firearm. The roommates were robbed of an undisclosed amount of cash before the suspects left the area.
The female did not report any injuries; the male was treated at the scene for a facial laceration.
The male victim believed he recognized one of the suspects as an acquaintance, Justin Kalinowski, 23, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
A few minutes after Kalinowski’s identity was determined, deputies spoke to a witness in the parking lot of the Vero Preserve apartment complex, the last known residence of Kalinowski.
The witness noted that the suspect was seen entering his apartment a few minutes prior to the deputies arrival and he was wearing similar clothing as described by the home invasion victim.
Attempts to get Kalinowski to respond to knocks on his door were unsuccessful and, due to his believed armed status, the SWAT team was placed on alert. However, through a phone conversation, Kalinowski surrendered at approximately 3:45 a.m. Wednesday morning, according to authorities.
The continued investigation revealed the identity of the second suspect as Demetrius Snell, 24, also a resident at the Vero Preserve apartments in the 2300 block of 10th Road SW, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
Snell refused to answer his door and the SWAT team was called in to make entry into the apartment. Snell was located inside and taken into custody at 10:03 a.m.
Both men face charges of armed home invasion robbery, false imprisonment, aggravated battery with a firearm. Snell additionally faces charges of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and violation of probation.
A photo of suspect Demetrius Snell was not immediately available.
