Masked Intruders Kill Bowie Area Man in His Home

A quiet suburban bubble burst early Sunday when three masked intruders invaded a man's home in an upscale Bowie area subdivision and held his family at gunpoint while they killed him.

Tyrone Richardson, 39, had suffered trauma to his upper body and was dead when police arrived at his house, in the 12500 block of Marleigh Drive, authorities said. His slaying, which occurred in the Marleigh neighborhood, came as a shock to the lawyers, high-ranking government employees and other professionals who proudly say they moved to the area because it seemed so crime-free.

"For us, this is a brutal crime that is an aberration," said Mark A. Polk, president of the Marleigh Homeowners Association. "And we're not going to tolerate it."

Cpl. Erica Johnson, a spokeswoman for the Prince George's County Police Department, said investigators think that Richardson was targeted and that the incident was "isolated." The house is deep within the subdivision, which has only one entrance and exit.

"They're just not out randomly kicking in people's doors," Johnson said.

Police said that just before 3 a.m., a woman inside Richardson's house called to report some sort of trouble. When officers arrived, they found Richardson dead and other family members inside the house unharmed.

Three men, two armed with handguns, had apparently made their way into the home as part of a robbery, and they left with a Mercedes-Benz S430 with an S500 placard affixed to it, police said.

Investigators are still searching for that car, which has the Maryland dealer plate number 1A88982, and a black Chrysler 300 or Cadillac that followed it out of the subdivision, authorities said. They said they are unsure who owns the Mercedes.

Neighbors said Richardson lived in the two-story home with his wife and four children, all of whom were inside at the time of the incident.

Polk said he and other residents had expressed concern to the police that there have been six break-ins in Marleigh this year, including four in the past 45 days. He said he called police Thursday to request that they conduct high-visibility patrols in the area to deter would-be burglars.

The homeowners association also set aside $25,000 for such safety improvements as additional lighting and security cameras, neighbors said.

"We respect our police officers, and we support them," said Fred Robinson, chairman of the homeowners association's safety committee. "Our expectation is when we need them, they're going to support us."

Johnson declined to comment on the break-ins.

Recently, neighbors said, Richardson hosted a noisy party that drew the ire of some residents. Still, they said, no one expected a crime like this to occur at his house.

Efforts to reach members of Richardson's family were unsuccessful. Polk said that Richardson's children were staying with other neighbors and that his wife was being interviewed by detectives.