A 64-year-old widow of Better Hope, Essequibo Coast is thankful to God for her life after her house was broken into in the wee hours of yesterday morning by a lone man who carted off money, cash and tools.
Speaking with Stabroek News, Chandrowtie Lawrie said the horrific ordeal has left her in fear for her safety.
She said she had been living alone since her husband died in December of last year.
“I was sleeping but around 2.30 am I wake up after my dog and my neighbour dog start barking. I see my bedroom door push and when I watch, I see a man crawling in with a long knife in his hand. I get frighten and I start hollering for my neighbour Aunty Pearl and I ask he how he reach in the house.
He come on my bed and tell me that I must shut my mouth and if I mek noise he gon kill me,” she said.
Lawrie related that the man grabbed clothing and stuffed it in her mouth.
“Because he didn’t tie my hand, I pull out the cloth and start begging he not to rape or kill me. He start choke me and tell me to be quiet. Then he tell me to tell he where I have my money. I was frighten so I show he where the bag went. He threaten me and tell me if I only move or scream he would kill me then he carry the bag with the money and empty it on the table and he start searching again with a small torchlight. He find my jewellery and a next bag that I had some US money in and he take out everything. I had $26,080 in the purse and the man carry way about $700,000 in jewellery. I had a gold tie pin, cuff link, wedding ring, a chain and around US$600, and plus a cell phone,” she said, all of which the intruder took. She said the man smelled, “really bad like rum and urine.”
In tears, the woman recalled that he emptied all of the drawers in an attempt to find valuables.
“After he ain find nothing else in the room he gone in the kitchen and open the fridge and I had a Coke drink in there and he drink it and he take out other things too,” she said.
“Then he gone in the back room where my husband had all his tools like sanding machine and grill and so and he carry all.”
When asked how the intruder gained entry into her home, the woman said he pried open the louvre windows close to the back door.
She said that the ordeal lasted for approximately one hour.
“All the time he just keep checking all over and threatening me. Telling me to stay quiet. I never see the man before in my life and he had on a shirt and short pants,” she added.
“After he ain find nothing else, he come back and slam the bedroom door then he gone. I hear when my dog start barking and my neighbour dog and I get up right away and turn on the lights. I see the back door wide open and after I close it, I call the police at Charity. Not long after, the police come and check around and they tell me that they gone till to Dartmouth but they ain see nobody.”
Lawrie said that later on Wednesday morning, the police returned to her house where they dusted for fingerprints and looked for other clues that would aid in capturing the intruder.
“I hope that the police find whoever it was because now I don’t feel safe. He rob me and now I feel that I can’t stay alone and I don’t have any other family living in the area.”
