A 64-year-old newspaper vendor was gun butted and beaten to his head and his wife was shot early yesterday morning when armed bandits held him hostage before invading his Eccles, East Bank Demerara home, demanding cash and other valuables.
Sebastian Ramsuchit was gun butted about three times and beaten to his head by the two bandits who were each armed with a handgun. His wife, Joyce Ramsuchit, 53, sustained a single gunshot wound to her right leg after she told the gunmen that her family had no cash to hand over.
They were both taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPH) where Sebastian was treated and sent away whilst Joyce underwent emergency surgery to remove the bullet which was lodged in her leg. She remains hospitalised and her condition is listed as stable.
A reliable police source told Sunday Stabroek that up to yesterday afternoon, the police were still on the hunt for the two men who stormed the Lot 21 ‘CC’ Eccles house around 3.30 am yesterday.
Following the ordeal which lasted for about 15 minutes, the gunmen escaped with a black bag containing an undisclosed amount of cash, an undisclosed amount of jewellery, a laptop computer and an iPod.
Sunday Stabroek understands that Sebastian had just exited his house to carry out his normal morning duty of purchasing newspapers which he distributes to several shops and companies in and around his community when he was confronted by the bandits, who were hiding behind a “railing” which surrounds his entryway.
The men gun butted Sebastian and relieved him of the house keys after which they dragged him into the house demanding money. They then ransacked the rooms, awakening his wife Joyce and his son Cheddie Ramsuchit, 23, a final year medical student of the University of Guyana, whilst continuously demanding money. During this process, Joyce was shot after which, the bandits made good their escape.
It is believed that the gunmen fled through the backyard and scaled the fence, the same means by which they might have entered the premises.
The police were alerted and they arrived promptly and escorted the injured couple to the hospital. They later returned to the crime scene where they obtained fingerprints and statements.
When this newspaper arrived at the scene, Sebastian had just returned from the hospital. He expressed shock at the incident which he said had made him start rethinking selling newspapers, something he has been doing for over 15 years.
Sebastian said, “I just open the side door and I put on the light and did talking to them parrots when they just raise up from behind the railing and start hit me one after the other in my head.
“One of them start search my pockets and take out the money I had in my pockets to go make payments … One side had about $8,000 and the other side $10,000. The other one went and wake up my son and wife because they did sleeping and started to demand that they hand over the money and jewellery. He tumble up all over, all the wardrobe and so although she tell he she don’t have no money all we does do is lil newspaper business.”
Sebastian said one of the gunmen fired a shot which hit Joyce to her leg. “After he shoot she and didn’t moving, she point and tell him look the money deh in the black bag behind the door and he grabbed it along with the other things and they run away,” he said.
After the gunmen fled the scene, Sebastian said, his son called the police and neighbours informing them of the robbery.
Sebastian who is well known in the area said yesterday morning’s incident was the first such he had ever experienced. He believes the bandits were persons who knew his routine.
