A couple who survived a terrifying home invasion in Bywong on Sunday morning are shaken but lucky to be alive, according to local residents who assisted the couple after they fled their property.
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The couple, aged in their 70s, were held in their house around 11.45am by a young man armed with a hammer and a knife who threatened to kill them unless they handed him keys to their gun safe.
Neighbours believe the incident was directly linked to a robbery at the property in May as the offender knew his way around the property and the location of the gun safe.
"This guy, whoever it was that did this, he knew exactly where everything was in the place," a neighbour said.
A NSW Police spokesman said the home invasion was being treated as a "targeted incident" by detectives still searching for the offender, who is believed to have stolen a .22 rifle and a shotgun with ammunition.
According to the neighbour who called the police, the couple were first alarmed when their dog became agitated outside the home.
"The old fella went out to see what was going on and the young fella jumped up - he was lying on the ground - he jumped up with a knife and hit him on the head," he said.
"He took them inside and threatened them he was going to kill the dog then he was going to kill the old fella then he was going to kill the guy's wife," he said.
"He knew there there were guns there in the safe and he demanded the keys."
One neighbour said the offender again threatened to kill the couple once they handed him the keys saying; "I'm giving you two minutes to get out [of the house] before I kill you".
The couple then ran around 600 metres through a paddock with barbed wire fencing to their neighbour's property.
"They were terrified," said one neighbour.
"We just took them inside and settled them down. I rang the police then the old fella spoke to them and they came out."
Police have described the offender as being between 170-180 centimetres tall with a skinny build and short black hair.
He was of Caucasian appearance and was wearing all black with pink socks and no shoes.
Police are also searching for a silver hatchback seen in the area around the time of the break-in.
"It was possibly driven by a female or occupied by a male and female," Supt Smith said.
Anyone with information is urged to contact Queanbeyan Police on 6298 0512 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
