Out of control crime spirals… – mother beaten, robbed, threatened and taped as daughter sleeps

Another family residing only a short distance away from the home of the Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan was on Sunday evening viciously attacked, threatened to be shot and robbed by armed bandits.

Single parent Geetanjalie Ramotar and her nine-year-old daughter, of 11 Delph Street, Campbellville, Georgetown, were well snuggled in their beds when the two bandits broke into their home, demanding cash and jewellery.

After a disappointing find of only $55,000, the perpetrators bound the woman’s arms and legs with scotch tape before fleeing the yard. During the entire ordeal, Ramotar’s daughter was still asleep in the bedroom.

“Earlier in the day, I took her to the doctor because she was not feeling good. So anyways, in the night we were sleeping and I heard a noise, so when I come out of the bedroom to check, I saw that the back door was wide open. When I came out, one of the guys came with a gun and put it to my head and start saying ‘where is the money, give me the jewellery’,” Ramotar explained to Guyana Times.

“These guys don’t even look like they are in their 20’s, they look like teens and they were very skinny,” the woman described. But despite their youthfulness, the woman was terrified for her life and that of her daughters because the men were armed.

“My daughter was asleep and I don’t think they knew she was in there so I told them ‘look my purse, it got money’ and they took it. They gone with my ID card and everything. Then they started to ask for more but I told them I don’t have any more. The man with the gun led me upstairs and they tumbled the other rooms but they didn’t find anything,” Ramotar explained.

She related that the bandits then began to get frustrated and began to argue among themselves. “One of them was arguing “shoot she, shoot she” and the other one with the gun was saying ‘no’… they looked to me like they didn’t know what they were doing,” she explained.

According to Ramotar, the bandits then decided to make their escape but before doing so, they bound her hands, legs and mouth with tape.

“I waited for some 15 minutes, thinking they would have left and then I dragged myself downstairs,” she explained, noting that it was quite a challenge. Subsequently, Ramotar began to throw down items to make noises with the hopes her daughter would wake up. After several failed attempts, the child woke up but she was in complete shock at the sight before her.

“I dragged myself into the room and used my foot to start knocking at the bed and eventually she woke up but like she was shocked and she keep asking ‘mommy who do this’… she didn’t know what to do so I used my foot and I dial, dial until I get to call my neighbour and she come over and they help we out,” the woman explained.

Ramjattan intervenes After alerting her nearby neighbours, the Minister’s security guards were alerted and they came to render assistance. According to Ramotar, Ramjattan also intervened and assisted by ensuring Police ranks arrived at the scene.

“Ramjattan came over and he called up the Police and the CID (Criminal Investigation Department). I swear, this house was packed with Police, I wouldn’t lie. He stayed for a while and he helped. The Police took the information and said they will investigate the matter,” Ramotar stated.

Only last month, another couple who live only a few houses away from Ramjattan was attacked and robbed by two bandits.

Fifty-year-old Nandkishore Lulla, who is the owner of the Price Rite Store on Regent Street, and his wife, had just arrived in front of their Lot 14 Delph Street, Campbellville when two bandits approached and opened fire on them. No one was harmed but the perpetrators succeeded in escaping with some $100,000.

In that instance, however, when the couple approached the Minister’s security guard for assistance, he advised them to make a report at the Kitty Police Station.