DNA links man to September home invasion in Largo

LARGO DNA testing led to the arrest Thursday of a Largo man who was charged in connection with a violent home invasion in September.

Salvatore Va, 20, was among a group of men who kicked in a locked kitchen door the night of Sept. 14 at a home in the 800 block of Palm Drive, according to Largo police. Once inside, the men exchanged gunfire with a man who warned them not to enter. One of the shots narrowly missed a 3-month-old baby who was in the home, police said.

The group took money from the man and a woman who was with him before fleeing the home, police said.

Forensics investigators recovered DNA from the home, which was later matched to Va, according to an arrest report.

During questioning, Va admitted to detectives that he stood in the kitchen doorway while the other men robbed the home, but denied using a gun or going into the house, police said. He also claimed that he was unaware that the other men intended to commit a robbery.

Va, of Largo, was booked in the Pinellas County Jail on a charge of home invasion robbery. He remained jailed Saturday in lieu of $50,000 bail.

It was unclear whether police had identified the other men involved in the crime.

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DNA links man to September home invasion in Largo