“Oh God child, a never feel suh frighten in me life like a dis, me children had to carry me to deh hospital last night [Saturday night] because is like me bin a tek in with meh heart,” the woman, Thakoordai Ramlall, told Stabroek News yesterday from her Number Two, Village, West Coast Berbice home.
She along with her 48-year-old son, Baldath Ramlall and her eight-year-old grandson were robbed of jewellery worth $320,000 and $15,000 from the cash drawer of her shop.
The woman said since she has been operating her business-which started as a small grocery but had expanded over the years-she has never had such an experience.
The woman recalled that it was just after 1 pm on Saturday when a white car stopped in front of her home-her business is located underneath the house-and two men exited.
The men entered her shop and ordered two lemonade drinks and a pack of cigarettes.
“When dem bin a drink deh lemonade dem been talking hard, hard and meh son been a watch dem,” the woman said.
Shortly after, one of the men started to pay close attention to a pair of pants the woman had on display and he enquired about the price. When told the price he indicated that if the price was $100 less he would purchase it and the woman agreed. As the woman folded the pants and was about to hand it to the man he requested a bag and she went into the shop for the bag.
The man started to follow her and it was then her son-who was sitting at the shop counter- enquired why he was following his mother. The man then whipped out a gun and placed it to the woman’s back.
The other bandit, who was not armed, stood in front of the shop keeping watch. The woman’s 74-year-old husband was in the backyard attending to his garden and the bandit quickly closed the back door of the kitchen-where he had forced the woman to enter-so as to prevent her husband from seeing what was happening.
The woman said her grandson was in the kitchen and upon seeing the gun he started to cry and the bandit told him if he did not stop he would shoot him.
“If you see how he bin a tremble, me grandson and den deh bring meh son in deh kitchen too and me bin afraid dem woulda shoot all two,” the woman said.
She said the men threatened to duct tape them but her son told them there was no need for that as they could take what ever they wanted.
They emptied the cash drawer and removed the jewellery the woman and her son were wearing at the time-which included gold bangles, a band and finger rings.
The bandits indicated that they wanted to enter the top flat of the building but later changed their minds. One then used his cell phone to call the car-which the woman said she later learnt was driving around slowly-and they both left but not before they threatened to shoot anyone who cried out.
The police were called in and statements were taken from the woman and her son.
