‘What am I legally able to do if somebody breaks into my house?’ Nedrow community learns home invasion safety

NEDROW, N.Y. (WSYR) — Concerned members of the Nedrow community came together Wednesday night, Oct. 16, seeking ways to keep themselves safe from terrifying attacks in their homes.

On Sept. 30, a 40-year-old man suffered serious injuries, and a 14-year-old was assaulted in back-to-back home invasions. While 33-year-old Raysean Broadwater remains in jail without bail, homeowners sought out advice from law enforcement about how to keep their guard up.

'There was a man standing over her with the back of a toilet lid' Nedrow man tells story of violent home invasion

Over 100 people joined together at the Nedrow Fire Department.

Freida Pineda-Gainza, perhaps one of the closest neighbors to the crime spree, spoke out about the experience. He said Broadwater went to his home as well and stole his 7-year-old daughter's bicycle. Luckily, it had an air tag and assisted the police in tracking down Broadwater.

"We showed them the location of where it was," Pineda-Gainza said. "They went right to it and voila. That's how they found the gentleman and my daughter's bike."

Pineda-Gainza did the right thing by calling 911 right away. But there are other worries in the neighborhood.

During the meeting, Onondaga County Legislator Richard McCarron said people can stay safe in several ways, such as lighting up their homes, locking the doors with a deadbolt, and keeping a lookout for suspicious license plate numbers and human activity.

"Sometimes the simplest of things can provide us the greatest protection, McCarron said.

"As a neighbor, you keep watching everything...and that's what you have to do," Kenyon said.