JANESVILLE — Armed with an axe, a knife and a rifle, three Janesville men are accused of breaking into an East Milwaukee Street home March 30 and ordering three people onto the ground.
They told them to stay facedown with their hands on their heads, then walked into a bedroom and beat a fourth resident, according to the criminal complaint.
They struck him 13 times with the rifle, punched him and smashed a DVD player and vacuum cleaner against his head, according to the criminal complaint.
The incident is believed to be gang related, according to the criminal complaint.
Fernando Garcia, 29, Victor Garcia, 17, and Isaac Cortez, 18, appeared in Rock County Court on Tuesday.
Each faces two counts of party to armed robbery, one count of party to armed burglary and one count of party to substantial battery. The Garcia brothers also face one count of felony bail jumping.
The Garcias live at 219 N. Marion Ave., Janesville, but Cortez has no fixed address.
The men wore black ski masks or bandanas over their faces when they broke through a door at 3206 E. Milwaukee St., according to the criminal complaint.
After ordering three people onto the floor, they went into a bedroom and beat Mark D. Brown, 25, of 3206 E. Milwaukee St., according to the complaint.
One of the attackers accused Brown of sleeping with his girlfriend, according to the criminal complaint, and he told Brown he had a week to pay his $500 debt.
It is unknown what the debt was for, according to the criminal complaint.
The attackers also asked for money and drugs, according to the criminal complaint, and they stole two cell phones.
Brown sustained broken bones in his face, according to the criminal complaint, and he needed stitches on his mouth, head and above his eye.
After the attackers left, Brown and the three others reported the incident to a police officer parked on East Milwaukee Street.
Brown was admitted to Mercy Hospital and released.