'All I heard was my sister screaming': Nanaimo teen sisters attacked in brazen home invasion

Two teenage sisters were treated by paramedics Monday after an intruder broke into their Nanaimo, B.C., home and attacked them with bear spray.

Mounties say the attack happened just before 3 p.m. at a home in the 5200-block of Lost Lake Road.

"I thought that this guy was a military man when I first saw him, until I realized what he was doing to us was bad," said one sister, named Emma, whose full identity we're not fully revealing.

The intruder was wearing a black balaclava and camouflage clothing, according to the RCMP.

The girls' mother, Veva Leigh, says it appears the intruder, who may or may not have been acting alone, stole several electronics, clothing, and a collection of vintage skateboard stickers from the basement of the home, before going upstairs and confronting the two girls.

"She tried to scream and the guy shot her in the mouth with the bear spray at very close range, and after he did that he grabbed her laptop right out of her hands," said Leigh.

Her other daughter, Bella, says she "couldn't breathe" and felt paralyzed by the encounter.

"All I heard was my sister screaming at me to run."

'BRAZEN INCIDENT'

The sisters ran to a neighbour's home where the police were called.

Officers arrived within minutes but could not find the perpetrator, according to the Nanaimo RCMP.

"It appears the suspect entered the home through an unlocked door," police said in a statement Tuesday.

"A hockey bag was found missing, which investigators believe was used by the suspect to carry some electronics from the home," police said.

The sisters were treated by paramedics and then released to their parents.

"This was a brazen incident that took place in the middle of the afternoon," said RCMP Const. Gary O’Brien. "This may actually assist in the investigation as someone could have seen the suspect entering or leaving the home. Additionally, there are several vigilant block watches in the area who will obviously assist police with their investigation."

A coordinator of the neighbourhood block watch says the incident must have been shocking for the girls.

"I couldn't see, I couldn't breathe," recounts Emma. "The whole room was covered in this orange smoke."

Investigators are asking residents to check their home and vehicle security cameras for any signs of the perpetrator in the area between 2:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Nanaimo RCMP at 250-754-2345.