Editor's note: The above video aired on Aug. 17, 2024.
DOUGLASTON, Queens (PIX11) – Three men were indicted after a family was held hostage during a Queens home invasion in August, according to prosecutors.
Jone Smith, 47, and brothers Brandon and Ryan Dash, 39 and 34 respectively, were charged with kidnapping, burglary, robbery, assault, criminal possession of a weapon, grand larceny and endangering the welfare of a child.
The three men are accused of breaking into a home in Douglaston on Aug. 17 around 3 a.m. and holding the homeowners at gunpoint, prosecutors said. The homeowners were sleeping in the same room as their 1-year-old child.
The suspects, who were wearing masks, are then accused of physically restraining the homeowners and demanding to know if they had any cash while holding a gun, hammer and crowbar, according to prosecutors.
The men are accused of stealing $20,000 in cash and climbing out of a window, prosecutors said.
A mother and a child inside the home managed to escape and called 911. Four adults and two children were still inside the home when officers arrived, according to prosecutors.
The suspects were arrested following a manhunt near the home, prosecutors said.
They face 25 years in prison if convicted. They're expected back in court on Oct. 21.
Erin Pflaumer is a digital content producer from Long Island who has covered both local and national news since 2018. She joined PIX11 in 2023. See more of her work here.
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