‘You can’t sleep after something like this’

Two men invaded Ricardo Soto’s home on Henrietta Street last week and stole jewelry and cell phones.

Mike Smollins/Herald

Ricardo Soto’s 12-year-old daughter pressed an iPad up to a front-facing window of their Henrietta Street home last week, as he spoke about feeling unsafe via video chat. He instructed his daughter not to open the door for anyone after two masked men forced their way into the home on Martin Luther King Jr. Day and stole jewelry and cell phones.

“You can’t sleep after something like this,” he said.

Soto explained that he was at work in New Jersey when he learned of the crime, and swiftly drove home. According to Nassau County police, two men in ski masks knocked on the door of the house at about 6:45 p.m. on Jan. 16. A 41-year-old woman opened the door and the men forced their way into the home armed with handguns. The victims said one of the culprits knocked on the door and the other one crouched down so that he couldn’t be seen at first.

Soto’s daughter, who declined to give her name, said that her mother, her grandmother, her uncle and two of her cousins were also home, and that the two men forced them all into the bathroom before leaving.

Police described the suspects as two black men. One was about 5-foot-7 and 150 pounds. He wore a heavy black jacket, blue jeans, white and black Nike sneakers and sunglasses. The other suspect was about 6-foot-2 and 185 pounds. He wore a brown sleeveless jacket, a brown shirt, blue jeans and dark brown boots.

Detectives said they were unsure if the home was targeted and asked anyone with information regarding the incident to call (800) 244-8477. All callers will remain anonymous.