A bold home invasion in Crown Heights Monday afternoon ended with an armed attacker behind bars after a Lubavitch father heard his wife's screams through a Ring doorbell, rushed home, and overpowered the intruder—with critical backup from volunteers of the neighborhood Shomrim patrol.
The incident unfolded around 2:40 p.m. when a man posing as a Con Edison utility worker rang the doorbell of a family home. When the woman answered, he forced his way inside, brandished a handgun, and began choking her while she held a young child.
As the attack escalated, the victim screamed for help. The family's Ring doorbell camera was still active, connected to the husband's phone. Hearing the commotion in real time from his location about two blocks away, he understood immediately that his wife and child were in grave danger.
The husband raced back to the home and confronted the armed intruder. What followed was a physical struggle in which he managed to disarm the attacker and strike him with his own weapon, rendering him unconscious. The wife then seized the opportunity to grab her child and escape.
Gregory Jones, 56, was arrested hours later after Crown Heights Shomrim volunteers tracked his movements and spotted him discarding the Con Edison jacket and changing clothes in the East New York/Brownsville area of Brooklyn. The volunteers were able to track the suspect through a stolen phone and flag down police officers.
A Lengthy Criminal History
Jones' arrest history spans decades, dating back to August 1993 when he was taken into custody for a murder in the 77th Precinct. More recently, he was arrested in May for two robberies—one in April in which he allegedly robbed a 53-year-old man of $400 at gunpoint, and another on May 4 in which he allegedly took $300, a cell phone, eyeglasses, and a passport from a 54-year-old man. He was indicted on the May 4 case but posted bail on June 2.
Jones now faces charges of robbery, strangulation, burglary, grand larceny, criminal use of a firearm, criminal possession of a weapon, coercion, unlawful imprisonment, acting in a manner injurious to a child and menacing.
Community Vigilance and Relief
The ordeal has resonated deeply in the Crown Heights community, which has long relied on Shomrim volunteers as a critical security layer. A longtime Shomrim volunteer drew a stark parallel to the neighborhood's past: decades ago, a family member named Pesha Leah Lapine was murdered during a home invasion—a tragedy that underscored the stakes of such attacks.
This time, the outcome was different, thanks to what community members described as divine intervention combined with practical preparation and courage. The use of the Ring doorbell to trigger the father's awareness has prompted renewed discussion about home security technology among residents.
Mendy Hershkop, a coordinator with Crown Heights Shomrim, emphasized the incident as a reminder of how quickly threat scenarios can shift. "Nowadays we have so many different people coming up to our front doors, deliveries from UPS, Amazon, food delivery," he said, pointing to the ease with which impostors can gain access to homes.
The woman was transported to a local hospital and treated for injuries consistent with strangulation. Police recovered the firearm, the stolen goods, and additional injuries visible on the suspect's body from the struggle with the homeowner.
Jones' arraignment is pending.
