Calgary family traumatized after intruders target wrong house in violent home invasion, police say

Two men have been arrested after a family of six was traumatized during a violent home invasion in southeast Calgary last weekendand the attackers had the wrong house, police say.

Around noon on Jan. 16,two men armed with a Taser and semi-automatic rifle entered a McKenzie Towne home, police said Wednesday.

The intruders allegedly restrained two adults with zip ties and duct tape and confined four children in a separate room.

According to a release, the men repeatedly demanded money, jewelery and drugs from the adults who said they had the wrong house.

The intruders Tased both adults multiple timesand threatened their lives and to harm their kids, police said.

One of the adults was eventually able to get access to a phone and dial 911.

The line was left open so that dispatchers could hear what was happening. Police quickly arrived on scene, where they made arrests and tended to the family.

"What normally would have been an uneventful Sunday afternoon turned out to be a traumatizing experience for an innocent family," said Staff Sgt. Krista Ryan of the Calgary Police Service's general investigations unit.

"Thanks to the quick thinking of one of the victims, police were able to quickly intervene and resolve a dangerous situation that could have turned out worse."

Family safe, two arrested

Ryan said the family is safe and they have been put in touch with resources to help them recover from the "horrific incident."

Tyler Justin Kowal, 34, of Winnipegand Jessie Leslie Lunan, 32, of Surrey, B.C., were arrested.

Both are charged with two counts of possession of an unauthorized weapon and one count of:

• Breaking and entering.
• Wearing a disguise while committing an indictable offence.
• Assault with a weapon.
• Uttering threats to cause death or bodily harm.
• Possession of a dangerous weapon.
• Pointing a firearm.
• Possession of a loaded prohibited firearm.
• Possession of a firearm contrary to a prohibition order.

Police said that Kowalalso facestwo counts of possession of a controlled substance, and Lunanalso facesfour counts of possession of a firearm contrary to a prohibition order.

Both of the accused will appear in courton Wednesday.