A PENSIONER and her daughter were robbed at gunpoint on Wednesday
evening at their Sand Reef, Albion, East Berbice-Corentyne home.

The woman, Rookmin Roopnarie (85), said she was lying in her bed while
speaking with her daughter, 64-year-old Sumintra Roopnarine, when four
masked men stormed the house armed with cutlasses and a gun demanding cash and jewellery.

“Four a them come in and me ask wha happen and them put a cutlass on
me neck and one gun on the other side, me tell them me nah get nothing
that me just clean me eye and had to beg donation to do the operation,
but them still insist and me get frighten and give them 20,000 and
$100US wha me bin get.”

The sobbing woman continued, saying that about 5 to 10 minutes after, her
son who was at the Mandir opposite their home making preparations for
the next day, came in and the men pounced on him, hitting him several
times about the body.

The man, Hemlall  Bhowanie 44, told this publication he was over at the
Mandir when his son told him “thief man deh over by the house.” He
related that he did not take it for anything, since he had only left
the home only  a few minutes prior and residents were still on the
street. He said upon the insistence of the young boy he decided to
check what was happening.

“When me reach me see the door open, so me say “wha happen hay” and
them man rush out to me and start beat me up, but them tek them eye
off me fuh like half a minute and me try fuh run away and jump over
the fence, but it too high and them ketch me and hit me in me back hard
and it bore.”

He continued that he raised an alarm and the men fired a shot in the
air and ran out as residents started calling out for help. The police were
was called and they responded promptly, but by then the men had already
escaped.

The incident has left Rookmin and her family traumatised and fearful
the men may return. Her relatives are worried for her health, since she
recently cleaned her eyes and they have not yet fully healed; and with the
amount of tears she has been shedding, they are afraid she may lose her
sight.