Residents shocked after violent break-in at mobile home: 'This is very rare'

The husband did not want to comment beyond that because of the harrowing day his wife had experienced.

Around 10:40 a.m., two men broke into their mobile home on the 300 block of Hazelwood Trail, pistol-whipped Salazar’s 31-year-old wife and held a gun to her toddler's head before fleeing with undisclosed property, according to Pittsfield Township police.

Many residents were shocked at what had happened in this quiet mobile home community off of Michigan Avenue and Carpenter Road.

Just hours after the incident, kids on bikes were pedaling peacefully through the streets of Arbor Meadows. Residents tended to their lawns and gardens. Neighbors gossiped on the sidewalk. Much of the talk was about the police and fire vehicles coming in and out of the park.

Roxianie Vargas has lived in the park for 12 years. She said someone once broke into her mobile home and stole something, but the intruder didn’t even break the window. They lifted it open.

But that was years ago.

“Almost nothing happens here,” she said. “Today really surprised me.”

Megan Cates was at work during the home invasion, but was equally surprised to hear about it.

“I never would have expected anything like that to happen,” she said. “That’s scary. (There are) usually nice people here.”

Fred Flynn said the community saw quite a lot of action Tuesday. He was coming home from running errands when he had to stop for Pittsfield Township police coming into the park with their lights flashing around 10:55 a.m.

Then he saw another cruiser.

And then another.

“They continued to cruise the park for four hours,” he said.

The police presence is abnormal for the area, according to Flynn.

“This is very rare. We have basic teeny bopper thievery, but nothing with weaponry,” he said. “It’s a rarity. This takes us up a notch.”

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