VIDEO: Three Men Are Facing Kidnapping Charges After An Alleged Home Invasion

CLAY COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI)- Rural Pine Bluff in Clay County is usually pretty quite, however, that silence was shattered last Wednesday with a violent home invasion robbery.

Hakeem Upcurch, 21, Clarence Mitchell, 22, and Emmett Buchanan, 43, are all being charged with armed robbery, burglary of a dwelling, and five counts of kidnapping.

“It’s very serious for our community when you have something like this, any type of home invasion or armed robbery at a person’s house, especially when it’s involving small kids,” said Clay County Sheriff Eddie Scott.

The three men were arraigned in court on Monday.

It was an emotional day in courtroom for Upchurch. After finding out he could potentially spend the rest of his life behind bars, it caused him to have a breakdown.

The break-in happened at a home in Mantee.

According to Scott, as the suspects approached the home, they assaulted the homeowners, then tied up the mother and her four children, who are all under the age of ten, put them in a closet and proceeded to rob the home.

“It’s our understanding that the male victim was out in the yard when the four individuals arrived,” Scott recalled. “Apparently the wife came to the door to see what was going on outside, and that’s when the four suspects forced to both of them into the house where the kids were. At that point and time the wife and the kids were pushed into a back bedroom and placed into a closet.”

Upchurch, Buchanan, and Mitchell are accused of stealing over a thousand dollars and a cell phone.

“The suspects apparently are from Chickasaw County, and it goes back to one of those situations again, what affects one county normally affects another one, so apparently these individuals have been into some trouble up in that area too,” the sheriff said.

While the three men are currently behind bars, Scott said they’re not finished with this investigation.

“We just recently got the fourth suspect identified, and right now as we speak warrants are being issued for him and we are planning on having him in jail real soon,” he said.

Bond for the three suspects arrested is set at $1,225,000.

This is still an on-going investigation.