Two masked burglars armed with guns broke into a Johns Hole home on Saturday night and assaulted a female before fleeing when other occupants were alerted to their presence, police said Sunday.

Police provided no other details about the incident, which was similar to a June 5 break-in at Slaney Hill where two men armed with knives assaulted a maid before escaping with several stolen items.

Though police said last week that one suspect had been arrested in connection with the Slaney Hill incident, no charges had been announced as of Beacon press time yesterday afternoon.

This week, police said in a Sunday press release that they were “prioritising the investigation of both matters because both are indicative of a sinister trajectory in the behaviour of criminals, which has seemingly become more debased. Detectives are pursuing several lines of inquiry in an effort to bring the offenders to justice.”

Police added that they had “directed the requisite support and assistance” to the crimes’ victims.

Police Commissioner Mark Collins said, “This disturbing turn of events in the local crime patterns has understandably caused an elevated level of concern among all well-thinking and law-abiding residents, but this new crime trend should also spur society toward action.”