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Police searching for suspect who targeted Peoria home twice within a week

Police searching for suspect who targeted Peoria home twice within a week
Posted at 3:15 PM, Oct 30, 2017
and last updated 2017-10-31 00:30:47-04

A home that previously was targeted in an arson attack, has been struck again within a week, and police believe the two incidents may be related.

Peoria police say the first incident occurred October 20th at the house near 83rd Avenue and Beardsley Road in Peoria. An unknown man set fire to a truck parked in the driveway around 2:30 a.m.

Home surveillance video shows the suspect walking up to the victim's white truck that's parked carrying a bottle in his hand. Several minutes later in the video you can see a fire lit under the vehicle, and the power shut off to the house.

On October 26th, a second incident occurred at the same residence and was also captured on surveillance video. 

This time, the homeowner and his adult son were outside of the home working on an exterior light when a dirt bike approached on a dirt road from the east side of their home. 

At 6:14 p.m. three shots are heard being fired in the video from the direction of the dirt road towards the residence, striking the residence three times. The dirt bike is seen speeding off northbound afterwards.

Peoria police say at the time of the shooting the home was occupied by several individuals, including a small child. 

Nearby officers attempted to stop the dirt bike, but the driver fled into an area that patrol vehicles were unable to get to, according to police.

Police believe this specific house is the target, and believe the two incidents may be related.

"That doesn't feel good at all," said one neighborhood mom. "It actually makes my heart drop. It's really scary." 

What's even more frightening for her is that she had her own close encounter with the shooter.  She claims she ran into the guy police are now looking for. 

"He went right by the event I was at with tons of kids. I mean, that's what's really scary. That could have easily turned into a situation really quickly," said the concerned parent.

Police describe the suspect as a white male, approximately 20-25 years old, medium height and a medium build.

In the first incident, he was noted to have very short hair, glasses and facial hair. He was wearing a "Famous" brand shirt, shorts and athletic shoes. 

In the second incident, the suspect was seen wearing a flannel shirt, black shorts and tennis shoes.

The dirt bike is described as a 4-stroke red dirt bike, possibly a Honda 450. 

Neighbors told ABC15 they'd like to see the dirt path that's next to the victims' home have better lighting. They'd also like to see more police officers in the area. 

Peoria Police said they are increasing patrols in the area, at least until the suspect is caught.

Anyone who has any information about these incidents or recognizes the individual in the video is encouraged to contact the Peoria Police Department at 623-773-8311.