Bandits target East Bank Berbice homes over the weekend
Several families of Glasgow, New Housing Scheme, East Bank Berbice were left traumatized and fearing for their safety after a suspected gang of serial robbers wreaked havoc in the small community early Sunday morning.
Two of the Glasgow homes that were targeted by bandits over the weekend.
Kaieteur News understands that the gang allegedly split themselves up and targeted four homes, only being successful on their last attempt.
Clement John, a gold miner of Lot 1724 Crack Ville stated that at around midnight, he was awoken by his sister who informed him that someone was in their home.
According to John, the man gained entry into the home by prying open a grill to his back window.
“She was not sleeping at the time and the house was in darkness, so he had a small torch light, and she saw the shadow and ask is who, and they didn’t say nothing, so she ask back again and turn on the light and then is when he run.”
The man relayed that checks were made in home but nothing was missing.
John explained that all of the rooms in the house are sealed; hence, no one heard when it was being broken into.
Another member of the suspected gang then targeted the home of a Provision vendor.
Sohan Ramdeen, of 890 Glasgow Housing Scheme told this publication that he had retired to bed around midnight, but minutes later was alerted by the sound of his dog barking.
Reports are that a tin of sardines was punctured and put into the yard to distract the dog. According to Ramdeen, it was not until sunrise that he discovered that a louvre pane was missing.
“I don’t know if is because of the dog bark hard or what, but when I come downstairs, I see that they remove my window and that is it. Nothing ain’t missing or suh. But this place nah safe bai. Is nuff thing going on in this community and people nah safe.”
Meanwhile, at about 00:30hrs, the bandits tried to hammer their way into another house despite screams from the occupants.
The traumatized woman who operates a small grocery parlour in the lower flat stated that she heard a loud banging sound coming from the lower flat and immediately awoke her son.
“I wake he and we listen for hear if anything else gon’ happen, but like they stop lil bit and he say mussy cat, and me say no this nah cat sound. Then is when we hear the big pounding and realize is thief. So right away we start holler, and dem still trying to break the grill, but it nah budge. And me daughter and me mother was sleeping downstairs, but the room seal, so they ain’t hear the noise. And we holler and holler til a neighbour come out with he cutlass and then is when they run.”
According to the woman, neighbours allegedly saw three men running from the direction of her home.
The final attack was at a teacher’s home.
According to Debra Ward, at about 02:30h there was at least one person in her home.
She explained that the person pushed open her bedroom door and when she recognized that it was an intruder, she jumped out of bed and armed herself with a cutlass, but the man escaped through the front door.
It was later discovered that one Government laptop computer, a cellular phone and about $5000 in cash was missing.
Ward mentioned that a crowbar was used to prize open the backdoor and the grill.
Meanwhile, last Wednesday, two other houses were also targetted.
A businessman in the community told Kaieteur News that the men only made it to the lower flat and removed close to $1M worth in equipment.
As police responded to that report, three masked men went into another home, a few blocks away.
Reports are that the shop owner and her school-aged daughter were at home when the building was broken into. The men reportedly took $200,000 in cash and a similar amount worth in jewellery before fleeing the scene.
Commander of ‘B’ Division Mr. Ian Amsterdam in an invited comment disclosed that police are currently on the hunt for a male resident in the community fingered to be the main suspect in crimes.
Investigations are ongoing.