N.S. home invasion victim held at gunpoint, forced to open safe

Halifax District RCMP say a homeowner was held at gunpoint and forced to open a safe in a home invasion Friday evening in Gaetz Brook. N.S.

It happened on Friday at 6:50 p.m., according to an RCMP news release.

A man was operating an excavator on his property when he saw another man pointing a gun at him. Police say the homeowner was forced out of the excavator at gunpoint, directed inside the house to a safe and told to open it.

The suspect took several items valued at nearly $200,000 before fleeing the scene.

The suspect wore a light-coloured hoodie and dark-coloured pants.

RCMP police dog services searched the area but the suspect was not found.

In an interview Saturday, RCMP Cpl. Chris Marshall said the investigation is still in its early stages but it's unlikely the incident was random.

"Looking back on my 13 years of being a police officer, especially here in Nova Scotia, it's quite unusual to have a type of incident like this where a person is basically directed from outside of a home, directly into a home, directly to a safe, and then demanded to open that safe," he said.

He said it could be random but "on the face of it, it would certainly appear to me that there was certainly some knowledge as to what may have been in the safe and what prompted this home invasion."

Marshall said the homeowner was shaken up but uninjured.

Anyone with information about this incident is asked to contact Halifax District RCMP at 902-490-5020. Anonymous tips can be shared with Nova Scotia Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.