NOBLESVILLE, Ind. — Court documents reveal that two armed men from out of state pretended to be DoorDash delivery drivers in order to force their way into a Noblesville home in an attempted burglary that turned deadly for the would-be burglars.
Grayson Rhue, 18, of Roswell, Georgia, was shot and killed on April 6 in the 21000 block of Raccoon Court in Noblesville near the Morse Reservoir.
Rhue, along with 22-year-old Ruai Ngundeng Pal, are accused of an attempted home invasion that backfired when one of the occupants inside the home opened fire on the intruders.
Pal was arrested in his hometown of Franklin, Tennessee, and faces multiple felony charges including murder, burglary with a deadly weapon and armed robbery.
New details reveal that roughly two weeks before the home invasion on Raccoon Court that a man similar in description to Pal was spotted trying to enter a bedroom window in the very same home where the shooting would later occur.
Police said that on March 22 at approximately 3:12 a.m. police were called to the residence on Raccoon Court after a man was spotted trying to enter the bedroom window and ran after making eye contact with an occupant inside the home.
A little an hour later, a rented Chevrolet Malibu that later would be tied to Ruai Pal would be found in a field stuck on a fence less than one mile from Raccoon Court. Police reveal that officers spoke to Pal that night who claimed his rental car was stolen before later changing his statement to say he crashed.
He was charged with leaving the scene of a property damage accident.
Shortly before 10:20 p.m. on April 6, police were called back to the Raccoon Court home. The caller told 911 dispatch that her son had just shot at two suspects who had forced their way into the home.
Court documents reveal that witness testimony and surveillance footage corroborate that Pal and Rhue arrived at the Raccoon Court home dressed as DoorDash drivers. They approached the home with a DoorDash bag with Taco Bell “Quesaritos” along with two Baja Blast Freeze drinks.
Rhue was said to be wearing a red DoorDash mask and baseball cap, documents said.
Noblesville police said three occupants were inside the Raccoon Court home when Pal and Rhue arrived and claimed to have a Taco Bell delivery. The three occupants were reportedly house sitters, not residents of the home, and told the two men they hadn’t ordered any food.
Surveillance footage reportedly shows Rhue force his way inside the home and telling the man who answered the door to “Go inside, don’t make any noise.”
Occupants inside the home said the men were armed and pointed a gun at one of the occupants inside the home. In response, one of the other occupants retrieved his own gun and fired at the intruders.
Court documents reveal that seven shots could be heard from inside the residence before Rhue is seen running out the front door and dropping the DoorDash bag.
Rhue was found by police two houses down from where the shooting occurred, lying at the end of a driveway and dead from his multiple gunshot wounds.
Police on scene reported finding a Walther handgun below the dropped DoorDash bag. None of the home occupants owned a Walther handgun. A check by police revealed the gun was stolen out of Georgia.
Investigators ended up learning that Rhue had been staying at a Noblesville hotel. Pal is also seen in hotel security footage with Rhue. Police also tracked the duo’s movements prior to the shooting to the Noblesville Home Depot where they can be seen buying a crowbar.
Court documents also reveal that the attempted robbery may not have been random.
A search of Rhue’s phone uncovered a Snapchat conversation where someone asked Rhue, “You get your s*** back from that dude?”
Rhue reportedly responded, “Yeah we robbed his trap. I’ll be back tommorw (sic) I’m robbin his house tonight then driving straight back.”
Police said Rhue had also searched the exact address of the Raccoon Court home in Google Maps.
Pal was arrested on April 17 by the Franklin Police Department in Tennessee. He will be transported to the Hamilton County Jail.