LEWISTON – A group of local business owners and residents were angry and appalled Thursday morning when they read the newspaper. An armed man had terrorized an elderly couple on Stevens Street the night before and the suspect was at large.

By Thursday afternoon, the group got together and pooled their money for a reward. By the end of the day, $2,500 was being offered for the capture and prosecution of the person who broke into the Steven Street home late Wednesday night.

“People are coming forward and saying: We’re fed up. We don’t want to put up with this crap anymore,” said one business owner.

Roughly a half dozen people have donated money for the reward. All of them want to remain anonymous while the culprit remains on the loose.

About 9 p.m. Wednesday, a couple in their 70s escaped their home after they were confronted by a masked gunman in their living room. The man and woman jumped from a bedroom window and called police from a neighbor’s house.

What followed was an hour-long police operation in which officers surrounded the house and then stormed the building. No suspect was found and it remained unclear if anything was taken.

On Thursday, police were still searching for the suspect, described as a young man or teenager who was wearing a mask and carrying a revolver.

One businessman said the age of the victims was a significant factor in the decision to post a reward. The money will be given, no questions asked, to the person who can provide police with enough evidence for an arrest and conviction. By Friday, the reward amount could be even greater.

“It’s growing by the minute,” the businessman said.

Police are not involved in the reward effort. However, anyone with information about the break-in is asked to call police at 784-6421.