A LaFayette woman returning home to retrieve something she forgot, instead encountered something she will never forget — two burglars going through her home.

According to LaFayette Police Department reports:

The homeowner returned to her Brookwood Lane residence about 7:50 a.m. on Monday, Dec. 12, and heard noises coming from the basement.

A remodeling crew was expected and the homeowner didn’t initially suspect anything was wrong.

She opened the door that led down to the basement and called out to find out why the crew was so early.

Instead a man wearing gray coveralls and a ski mask charged up the stairs and attempted to grab the jewelry on her arm as he spun her around, sending her tumbling down the stairs.

Upon landing in the basement, the homeowner noticed a second masked burglar who quickly fled through an exterior door on that level, escaping to the large wooded area that surrounds the subdivision and the neighboring LaFayette Cemetery.

The homeowner described both suspects to be middle-aged white men wearing similar outfits, including gloves to avoid leaving fingerprints. The burglar that assaulted the homeowner is medium-build, approximately 5 foot 10 inches, and between 180 and 200 pounds, according to detective Stacey Meeks.

Officers for the LaFayette Police Department responded quickly and searched through the surrounding wooded areas, but were unable to find either of the men.

There were no signs of forced entry into the residence, according to Meeks.

The burglars had been piling up items to steal at the time they encountered the homeowner. It initially appears that the burglars left empty-handed.

The case is an active ongoing investigation, according to Meeks, and the homeowners will continue to assess if anything actually was taken.

Following a search of the neighborhood, one of the tips developed in the case pointed toward a man who had been doing yard work in the surrounding area.

“We diligently searched for him in two counties, and we finally found him at ten o’clock last night,” Meeks said Tuesday, Dec. 14. The man had an alibi for the entire day; however he was taken into custody on existing prior warrants.

Law enforcement officials caution homeowners to keep doors locked and to be extra precautious as robberies increase around the holidays.

“Everybody has to be vigilant. Everyone has to look out for their own property and their neighbor’s property,” Meeks said. “If you see anything suspicious, document what you see. Get a vehicle description and a tag number, if possible.”