Victims fight back during burglary

AUSTIN (KXAN) - On Monday afternoon, a woman called 911 and reported a man trying to break into an apartment at Longhorn Landing apartments. The suspect was supposedly armed with pepper spray and a knife. An officer responded and met the three residents from the apartment.

The residents told the officer they were playing video games when there had been a knock at the door. When they answered it, a Hispanic male attempted to force his way into the partially open door. He placed his foot in the opening to prevent the door from being closed. The residents tried to close the door, but during their attempt, one of the burglary suspects stick a knife through the opening in the doorway and started slashing at the residents. Another suspect sprayed pepper spray inside the opening, in hopes this would prevent the residents from closing the door.

Tuesday, officers spoke to witnesses of the incident. A neighbor of theirs heard the banging of the suspects on the residents' door. He looked through the peephole and saw two men at the door of the victims' apartment. He opened the door to investigate further, motivating the suspects to flee the scene. He only saw one of the suspects closely. He described the suspect as a Hispanic male, about 6 feet 2 inches tall, around 200 pounds and was wearing sunglasses, a long-tailed black T-shirt and had a buzz haircut and facial hair. After the suspects left the scene, the witness went to the victims' apartment to make sure they were OK. The victims' recounted what happened to them to the witness.

Another witness saw three suspects running down the stairs and jump into a bright blue Kia that was backed into a spot. The second witness said the car was running. This witness' description of the Kia was broadcast via dispatch. Another officer saw a bright blue Kia on Wickersham Drive and conducted a traffic stop.

Since the officer knew they might be armed, the sergeant frisked the passengers and found a knife and a can of mace. The driver was identified as Kemar Ratchpaul, 22. The front passenger was Raymond Gil, 19, and the back seat passenger was Mark Martinez, 23. All suspects were placed under arrest for suspicion of burglary of habitation, a second-degree felony. Martinez was identified in a lineup by one of the residents as the man who attempted to break down their door.