On the evening of April 19, 2006, a quiet, upscale neighborhood in Fort Washington, Maryland, became the scene of a fatal home invasion that left two people dead, including 23-year-old Jeffrey M. Gilbert. The male intruder's death unfolded as part of a robbery plot that spiraled into a tragedy for a local family.
The plan was set in motion by Cindi R. Rush, the 20-year-old former girlfriend of Antonio Caniglia and a one-time employee of his family's restaurant.
Investigators believe Rush orchestrated the robbery of the Caniglia home, having knowledge that the family kept significant amounts of cash on the premises. She enlisted the help of two accomplices: Jeffrey M. Gilbert, also known as 'DC,' and 23-year-old Larry Martin Ellis Jr.
That evening, Rush and Ellis drove Gilbert to the Caniglia residence on Piscataway Drive. A witness later reported seeing a red car with a man and a woman inside, slouching as if to avoid being seen, shortly before the incident. Gilbert, armed with a handgun, entered the home through what appeared to be an unlocked door.
Once inside, he confronted 59-year-old Patricia Caniglia in an upstairs bedroom and fatally shot her in the head. Her son, Antonio Caniglia, who was in the basement, heard his mother's cry and armed himself with a shotgun. He went upstairs and confronted Gilbert, who then pointed his handgun at Antonio. In a desperate act of self-defense, Antonio Caniglia fired his shotgun, killing Jeffrey Gilbert at the scene.
In the aftermath, an investigation led by the Prince George's County Police Department quickly unraveled the conspiracy. Cell phone records belonging to Gilbert connected him to Rush and Ellis, placing them in the vicinity of the Caniglia home at the time of the murders. Cindi R. Rush was arrested and charged with first-degree murder for her role in planning the deadly home invasion. Larry Martin Ellis Jr. was also apprehended and faced the same charges for his involvement. Antonio Caniglia, who had shot Gilbert, was not charged in the death, as it was determined to be a justifiable act of defending his home and himself.
