A South Ruimveldt pensioner was during the wee hours of yesterday awakened by slaps in her face by masked bandits who later carted off over $6M in valuables including her motor vehicle.
The ordeal which lasted for about two hours took place at Lot 3202 Rosa Drive, South Ruimveldt. Seventy-one-year-old Joy Proctor was robbed of her Dualis motor jeep, PWW 2862, a quantity of cash and gold jewellery and several household and electronic items.
The bandits gained entry into the house by using a ladder and removing several louvre panes from a kitchen window.
According to the police, investigations revealed that Proctor who was asleep in the upper flat of her two-storey house was confronted by the suspects who choked her and demanded money and valuables.
They then ransacked the premises and went away with the valuables.
Stabroek News was informed that several persons have been questioned but no arrest has yet been made.
A message was also sent to police stations to be on the lookout for the stolen vehicle.
Reports are that around 9pm on Tuesday, Proctor secured her house and retired to bed.
Several hours after, she was confronted by the suspects who choked her and demanded cash and jewellery. One of the men then placed a pillow over Proctor’s head and they began to ransack the house.
This newspaper spoke with Proctor yesterday who related that she was awakened by two slaps to her face and she then saw one of the bandits, whose face was concealed from his nose down on her bed.
“I got up and went to the toilet around 1.30 but when I get up in the nights I generally peep out and I went back to bed and fall in a doze”, Proctor explained.
“I was rudely awakened to two slaps to my face and you know the fright in me I raised up and then I started to scream because this man (one of the bandits) was under the net and in my face and all I could see is a bandana or something on his face”, she recalled.
The bandit, Proctor said, told her, “Mummy don’t scream, don’t scream” while asking, “Weh the money? Weh the gold?”
The still traumatized woman said she began to scream and the bandit took his hand and placed it over her mouth during which she managed to bite one of his fingers. “I am telling you don’t scream, don’t scream mommy, if not we will have to tie you up”, she recalled the bandits telling her.
Proctor further related that the bandit continuously pushed her head into a pillow to stop her from screaming.
At this point, she said the men started to ransack the house while they kept watch on her with the use of light coming from a torchlight. “They were stuffing things in a haversack because I coulda hear the zip pull and they packing in”, she said.
Proctor noted that the men continuously asked for money and jewellery although she told them all she had was her pension money.
“I point to the bag behind the door where the pension was and he asked ‘how much money you got there? and I said $20,500 is in there”, she added.
She said she remained on the bed until she couldn’t hear any other sounds in the house and assumed that the men had left. “I got up after I realized the place was very quiet and I peeped through the window and I saw a black vehicle parked just outside“, she said.
It is believed that there was a third accomplice in the vehicle waiting for the men. “I am just stunned up to now”, Proctor said.
Calls to 911 went unanswered
Proctor said she made several calls to the police via the 911 emergency system but got no answer. “When I called the 911 I got no answer. It rang long, long then I said let me call the fire service which is 912. They also never answered, so I gave up on that”, she said.
She noted that she then called her sister’s house and her husband took the call. “They drove up and came”, she said.
On their way, Proctor said her brother-in-law stopped at the North Ruimveldt Police outpost but got no answer there too. “They said they had to bang down the door because the place was locked up and so and then a police lady came to the door and said they must go to Brickdam and make the report”, she said.
As a result, he drove to her house and it wasn’t until yesterday morning around 10 that the police arrived.
Attorney Glenn Hanoman went to her home after receiving a call from her daughter who resides overseas informing him what had happened and he, Proctor said, was instrumental in getting the police to visit the scene.
Proctor is the widow of national awardee Andrew Godfrey Proctor who died just over three months ago.
