Granddaughter arrested for robbing grandparents at gunpoint in Royal Oak

ROYAL OAK, Mich. (WJBK) - Neighbors were shocked to learn of a home invasion on a normally safe and quiet street in Royal Oak. But now they know it wasn't random

"I hate to see anybody living being afraid but I hate to see seniors live being afraid," said Janet Von Eberstein.

Janet and her husband Kurt are concerned about their neighbors down the street after a home invasion just before 1 a.m. Tuesday targeted a 76-year-old woman and her 85-year-old husband on Elmhurst.

Royal Oak police say two men barged into the home, robbed the couple at gunpoint, knocked the elderly man down and then took off. A short time later an officer in Pleasant Ridge pulled them over. Police say the person behind the wheel driving the getaway car -- was the victims' own 20-year-old granddaughter.

Royal Oak seniors robbed at gunpoint, granddaughter drove getaway car, police say

"It's getting bad. It's getting worse these days. Families are just turning against one another," said Russ Carnes, who works next door. "It's not good. You never used to hear about stuff like that, not with family."

Carnes does home improvement in the neighborhood, which is normally a safe place, but neighbors say they always worry about the senior citizens in the area like the Von Ebersteins worry about their own parents.

"She's 93 and her mom's in Eastpointe and she's 86 so you always worry about that so we take comfort that it was just a - maybe a one off," Kurt said.

The 20-year-old granddaughter from Rochester, and two young men, ages 19 and 17, from Detroit are in custody and now facing charges of armed robbery and home invasion.

They're expected to be arraigned Thursday.