The incident happened on Frick Street in Elmont around 1:40 a.m.
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Authorities say three male suspects, one armed with a knife, entered the home by removing bars and a screen from a basement window. They proceeded to the bedroom, where they confronted the 69-year-old Robert Eugene and his 70-year-old wife.
"I want to tell everybody that I'm alright," Eugene said.
Still, he says he hasn't slept since, after the suspects pushed him and his wife to the ground and held pillows over their faces.
Two of the suspects reportedly held the victims as the third ransacked the room and demanded money.
"They asked for money," he said. "That's the only thing they kept asking me. 'We want some money.' 'We don't have any money.' 'I'm homeless and everything.'"
Eugene, known to his fans as Shoubou, is a famous singer in Haiti. He believes the suspects, who cut his hand with a knife, knew who he was and targeted him. The house has alarms on the first floor, but there was previously nothing in the basement.
They fled the scene with about $60 in cash, but Eugene believes they would have done more damage if not for a careless mistake.
"They get into my room, and they put me on the floor," he said. "And after a while, maybe somebody was outside, waiting for them to tell them what's going on. They opened that (front) door, and the alarm goes off."
There were no reported injuries.
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The suspects are described only as black males, one with braided hair.
Detectives request anyone with information regarding this crime to contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-244-TIPS. All callers will remain anonymous.