Police are searching for five men suspected of forcing their way into a home in Sherman Oaks late Wednesday, tying up the residents and ransacking the property.

At least one of the men was armed with a handgun when the group stormed the house in the 4500 block of Tyrone Avenue about 10 p.m., said Los Angeles Police Officer Drake Madison.

After tying up the residents, the robbers rifled through their belongings and took cash and jewelry, police said. It was not immediately clear how many people were home at the time, but one of the victims was able to untie himself and ran to a neighbor’s house for help, Madison said.

“Suddenly we heard some banging on the door, and it was one of the victims. He was tied up. He had a tie around his wrist and was in his underwear. He was scared, obviously, so we called the police,” neighbor Craig Mayo told reporters at the scene.


Police said the robbers fled in a black Dodge Caravan. A description of them was not immediately available.