…residents call for improved police presence

A BLACK Bush Polder family was forced to seek refuge in a clump of banana stalks next to their home for several hours early Friday morning following a brutal robbery carried out by three armed bandits.

Lenox Ramcharran, 51, his wife and 2 children of Lot 15 Johana North, Black Bush Polder, Berbice said they spent over four hours hiding in banana trees after bandits invaded their home and brutalized them demanding cash and jewellery earlier in the night.

The still traumatized Ramcharran, a rice farmer by trade, told the Guyana Chronicle that he had just returned from the fields at around 20:30 hrs on Thursday night and was preparing to take a shower and settle in, when he heard his dogs barking continuously. Upon investigating he was confronted by three armed men who held him at gun point.

“After me come down me decide to check the back by the combine shed and three man stick me up, them lash me in me head and bring me back inside the house. Them tie me up and me wife and two children and tell abee fuh lie down and them start beat me and ask fuh money and jewellery,” he said.

Despite handing over $200,000 in cash and some jewellery the masked bandits were relentless in their assault on Ramcharran and they proceeded to ransack the house looking for more valuables.

“After them keep beating abee and them get the money, them want more, so them get abee pun the ground and them ransack the whole house. Them a fire shots steady so nobody can’t come out to help. Them spend almost half an hour tumbling up the whole place and then them gone when we hear wan shot from outside on the street,” he said.

Around 01:30 hrs Friday morning, the family heard what appeared to be a gunshot and fearing that the men had returned as they promised, they decided to hide between the banana trees until dawn. They later sought medical attention.
The police arrived hours after the ordeal due to the unavailability of a vehicle and the officers combed the area but were unable to find any trace of the men. Family members were initially fearful to speak with the media as the men threatened to return and kill them if they made a report.