A PREGNANT mother, her four-year-old son and her husband literally jumped for their lives as twelve armed men blocked off their street and invaded their home at Number 69 village, East Berbice, Corentyne on Saturday last.
While the family is reluctant to give details, reputable sources who spoke on conditions of anonymity believe the act was one meant to execute the head of the household who is said to be a fisherman.
However, this newspaper learnt that the family lost over $1.7 million in cash and valuables as a result of the incident which the police have been treating as a robbery. According to reports, around 22:30 hrs, approximately 12 men armed with guns took up strategic positions on the southern side of the Number 69 Village, Public Road and started to fire shots indiscriminately as they barged into the home belonging to Sachin Ramrattan called ‘Kimy’.
“Around 10:30 me get wan bad feeling, so me get up and deh pun me bed and me hear wan loud noise like wan bam outside, and when me peep me see some men dressed in black all over with mask and soldier boots outside in the street and some inside the neighbour yard, like 12 of dem in total. Them block off the street how them stand up and me think was police, but after them start shooting again, me seh this can’t be police,” a resident related.
According to information, while the gunmen attempted to break into the home, the family quickly escaped through a back window in the upper flat, jumping from roof to roof until they reached to safety. The heavily pregnant wife escaped with minor injuries and was treated at a nearby hospital. The incident has left the family traumatized and fearful for their lives.
Another resident recalled that she contacted the police several times but they only arrived when the men made good their escape. She noted also that the men spent over one hour in the Ramrattan’s residence. “At first my brother was going to call all the boys out the village to surround the bandits, but after they see the men them and see four one side with big guns patrolling the street and two in the bottom house and two on the step breaking the grill and another four further up the street, them had to cancel them plan cause them men look like professionals… them men was in the house long, long. They put on the lights and so…how these guys were they could ah clean up this whole street and nobody couldn’t do anything,” the resident said.
Meanwhile, a neighbour recalled after she heard the loud banging followed by gunshots she grabbed her children and hid until the calm was restored. She said during that time she made several calls to the police stations and was disappointed to find out they arrived when the gunmen had left. Commander of ‘B’ Division, Paul Williams, has refuted residents’ claims that police responded late. He said the police responded in a timely manner; hence a suspect was apprehended in the vicinity of where the crime was committed. The Commander has confirmed that a total of five persons were arrested and remain in custody assisting with investigations. Among them is a driver of a car who was found a short distance away. A search of his person revealed a small amount of cannabis, and after conducting a search of his home an unlicensed shotgun was found with one live round.
