By Margo Sullivan
margosullivan@eagletribune.com
December 31, 2008 10:49 pm HAMPSTEAD — An intruder who hid his face under a black ski mask broke into the Main Street home above Don's Market about 8:20 p.m. Monday and demanded money. Now, police Lt. John Frazier is asking for the public's help in uncovering the burglar's identity. The man was described as about 6 feet tall with a medium build, weighing between 170 and 175 pounds. He was wearing blue jeans and a black sweatshirt with red lettering. "I'm hoping someone out walking the dog will remember seeing something unusual," Frazier said. A home invasion in Hampstead is "highly unusual," he said. Deborah Dumas was home when the man kicked down the door, her husband, Wayne Dumas, said. The couple live over the store, which they have owned for more than 34 years. He credits his wife's people skills, honed through working with store customers, for helping her handle the situation. "She was amazing," he said. According to her account, the intruder broke down the door, went through the kitchen, and then saw her in the dining room. He demanded money. She didn't reply. He asked again. When she told him there was no money, he noticed her husband's prescription medicines, grabbed them and left. Wayne Dumas never actually saw the intruder. He had just gone downstairs to finish some chores in the market when the man broke down the upstairs door. "I was sitting downstairs for about a minute and a half when I heard a loud noise upstairs," he said. His first thought was his wife might have fallen. "She has multiple sclerosis," he said. "But this noise was something out of the ordinary — boom." Dumas ran back upstairs. By the time he reached the living quarters, the man was gone. He looked at the broken door and saw the dead bolt has been ripped out of the wall. "He can have the pills," Dumas said. "The main thing is, my wife was not injured at all. I consider it to be a lucky break." Dumas estimated the intruder was in the house for about a minute. "I am just so thankful he never threatened my wife or struck her," he said. His wife said she was not frightened during the encounter, but felt nervous afterward. The man did not show a weapon, police said. The last burglary in town happened about a month ago. That time, the homeowner came home and caught the burglar in the residence, Frazier said. But police consider this invasion more serious because it happened at night, a resident was at home and the intruder wore a mask. ÔÇæÔÇæÔÇæ Join the discussion. To comment on stories and see what others are saying, log on to eagletribune.com.
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