Residents of a friendly cul-de-sac awoke to a horrible sight Wednesday morning when one of their neighbours ran from his home covered in blood after a violent home invasion.

A couple across the street opened heard frantic pounding about 5 a.m. They didn’t recognize the bloody man at their door until his young son said, “It’s my dad. Don’t hurt him.”

That boy was on the minds of many parents on Crimson Cres. in east London as officers, including a canine unit, continued their search for a suspect.

“This is a close-knit street. The kids all play with the other kids and in the summer, we are all out front watching them play,” said down-the-street neighbour Jennifer Shymanski, who had to walk her son past several cruisers to get to the bus stop Wednesday morning.

“I’m shocked,” she said.

Other neighbours worried about how much the boy and his young sister saw and what led to the home invasion.

Police weren’t saying much Wednesday, other than they had arrested one suspect and were looking for another. They didn’t release a description of the suspect.

Asked about reports the victim had been beaten with a crowbar, police wouldn’t say. Nor would they comment on the motive.

Random home invasions are rare. Typically, victims and suspects know each other.

Neighbours said the family has lived on the street several years. The boy plays with other neighbourhood kids and the father often is outside working on his vehicle or cutting the lawn. The boy has a sister. Their mother is not often seen outside, neighbours said. An SUV in the driveway has a sign that reads “Little princess on board.”

The injured man returned from hospital about 10:30 a.m. wearing a hospital gown. He had been picked up by a neighbour.

“My daughter and their son are very close,” said another neighbour, Bianca Heaslip. “The kids were very, very, very upset this morning. We’re worried about (the kids who live at the home).”

jennifer.obrien@sunmedia.ca