Gunmen threaten to put infant in freezer during home invasion
– One nabbed while tying elderly woman; stroke-victim brutalized
Four armed bandits yesterday threatened to put a nine-month-old baby in a freezer, if their
Shivindra Sahadeo and his wife, Shamdai with their granddaughter.
demands were not met, when they gained entry into a house at Lot 1940 Section C Block X, Diamond, East Bank Demerara (EBD). This was around 10:15 hrs.
The men—three armed with guns and one with a cutlass —tortured 65-year-old Shivindra Sahadeo and his wife, Shamdai Sahadeo, when they scaled the back fence of the yard and used a table to climb into the back verandah of the house. They threatened to put little Kaylee Jaisingh in the freezer if her grandparents did not give up their valuables.
During the 20-minute ordeal, Shivindra Sahadeo, who suffers from a stroke, was beaten and kicked about the body. The men did not spare his wife—they dragged her by the hair and kicked her as she lay on the floor.
While one of the robbers was tying the elderly woman, the police responded after receiving a call from a neighbour, and arrested him. His three accomplices managed to jump off the verandah and escape in a waiting car.
The trio carted off a laptop, jewellery and money.
One of the rooms that the men ransacked.
Deolok Jaisingh, who operates a Spare Parts establishment in the neighbouring village, said that he had just left home when the men gained entry to his home.
According to Jaisingh, when the bandits entered his home, his father-in-law was in a hammock in the front verandah.
“They went and dragged him out and pulled him into the house and asked for money, so my father-in-law told them that he is a pensioner and he didn’t have any money, and they started beating him and kicking him about his body,” Jaisingh related.
He further explained that while the men were attacking Shivindra, his mother-in-law heard and ran to the verandah, screaming for thief, but no one heard, since a neighbour was playing music.
Additionally, most of the neighbours were not at home, as some had gone to work, while the others were attending their children’s graduation.
“They pulled her in and started beating her too and they picked up my baby from the play pen and threatened to put her in the freezer,” Jaisingh said.
Kaieteur News was informed that when the bandits scaled the victim’s fence, a nearby resident saw and called the police.
As the men were searching the house, the police responded and knocked on the door.
“When they (bandits) realized it was the police, three of them ran, but (maybe) the fourth one didn’t hear (and continued tying the elderly woman) so the police broke the door and arrested him while he was tying my mother-in-law,” Jaisingh said.
The bandit who was held was caught with the elderly woman’s costume jewellery in his pocket and three bags with valuables he had packed to take out. He is currently at the Diamond Police Station being questioned.