Did robbers case out homes the night before?

A couple in their 60s were locked in their bathroom and robbed during a home invasion Wednesday in which one shot was fired.

The couple believes the incident began Tuesday night when two men came to their home near 500 East and 2500 South claiming to be collecting donations for tsunami victims, said South Salt Lake Police Sgt. Steve Daniels.

The couple, who are 68 and 62 years old and whose names were not released by police, declined and said good night.

The next morning, as the husband walked out of his house to his garage, two men, one armed with a handgun, came out from behind the house, Daniels said.

"He said, 'Let's go back into the house,' " said Daniels.

The intruders fired a shot into the ceiling, forced the couple into a bathroom and locked them in, Daniels said. They then proceeded to ransack the house, taking jewelry and other items.

The robbers also took a box that the husband was planning to drop off at the bank on his way to the airport to pick up their daughter. The box contained "quite a bit of money," Daniels said without being specific about the amount.

Just as the home invaders left, Daniels said the couple's daughter called her parents from the airport wondering where they were. The couple told them what had happened. The daughter immediately called 911, as did the couple, Daniels said.

The couple later told police they were afraid to use their phone prior to that because they thought the intruders were still in the house.

The couple said at least one of the home invaders looked like one of the men who came to their house the night before seeking donations. Detectives were investigating Wednesday whether any other residents in the neighborhood were approached by the men.

It was unknown Wednesday if the robbers were using the tsunami donation claim as a way to case out homes or whether the couple robbed Wednesday was targeted because of their ages.

Daniels described both victims as very shaken by the incident.

"It was quite a scary event for them," he said.

This is at least the fourth time in recent months in Salt Lake County where people over the age of 60 were targeted.