Bandits terrorise, rob Vergenoegen family – 1 arrested with illegal gun, ammo

A Vergenoegen, East Bank Essequibo (EBE), family was left traumatised after they were beaten and terrorised by three unmasked bandits on Saturday evening at their home.
The incident occurred sometime around 19:30h at the Lot 13 Vergenoegen residence. According to the police, the two males and one female bandits managed to make good their escape with a quantity of cash and jewellery as well as other valuables.
Guyana Times understands that the ordeal lasted for about 30 minutes during which a businessman, Mohan Persaud, his wife and children, including his 10-year-old son were brutally assaulted by the perpetrators.
Speaking with this newspaper, the 45-year-old businessman recalled that he was sitting in a hammock in the yard along with his 10-year-old son while his wife was in another hammock nearby and his 22-year-old daughter was sitting on the stairs when he heard the gate open.
Persaud explained that his view of the gate was blocked by the canter so he could not see what was happening, but when he looked under the canter, he saw the feet walking into the yard.
“Two men and a lady come and they stand up in front me. One ah them ask if ‘you’s the fish man that does do drugs’ and I tell them no, that how me does buy and sell fish. Them turn and say ‘you’s the one we looking for’ and by time that, all three ah them pull out one, one gun from them waist,” the man recounted.
He said that upon seeing this, his daughter, who was on the step, ran upstairs and one of the perpetrators chased after her. The young woman rushed into a bedroom, where another one of her brothers, 20, was on his phone.
“She holler ‘thief’ and meh big son duck under the bed but before she could go under the bed too, de bai scramble she and bring she back outside.”
Back downstairs, the man said that the other male bandit and the female took him, his wife and young son into a room on the lower flat and asked for money.
“I tell them ‘we nah get money’ and then them tell we fuh empty the barrels. I tell them ‘we nah get nothing in here, is only old clothes” but he say ‘I know you get money, you search’. So I empty out some of the clothes.”
According to Persaud, while he was taking out the clothes from the barrel, the male bandit turned to his small son and threatened him.
“He say ‘Alright, he done’. Then he asked what religion ah me and meh say Hindu so he turn and say ‘Offer ah prayer for he (son)’. I beg he don’t do anything but he put the gun to (my son) head and pull two times. I turn my face and then my wife say “Ayuh nah kill he, come I gon give ayuh the money’. The girl (bandit) left with meh wife and carry she upstairs.”
The man said the lone bandit who remained with him started to “cuss up” and ordered him to empty the barrel to see if there was money inside. He further related that the bandit then gun-butted his head and blood started to ooze out.
Upon seeing the blood, Persaud said his son started to scream but the bandit pushed him with the gun. The man said he tried to shield his son but was stuck again to his neck by the perpetrator, who then duct-taped his hands and feet together and put him to lie on the floor.
He recalled that while being bound, he was kicked repeatedly to the side of his head as he tried to shield his 10-year-old son.
The bandit then knelt on his son’s stomach. He further recalled that the unmasked perpetrator snatched off a band and a ring from his hand. Persaud noted that after some time, the female bandit returned downstairs with a red bag which he usually kept money in and showed it to the male bandit. The businessman said he had approximately $4 million in the bag including foreign currency.
“The bandit then say ‘Alright, we gotta get the jewellery now’ and he left she with the gun pon me and meh son, and he went upstairs.
As the bandit was emptying the barrels, Persaud said he threw the clothes on top of him. At that moment, he made attempts to free himself. Soon, he added, the bandit joined his two other accomplices in the upper flat. He eventually managed to free himself and rushed out to get help. He screamed for help but due to loud music in the area, his efforts proved futile.
In a desperate attempt to save his family, he stopped a car and begged the driver to assist in alerting the police but by this time, the three bandits were seen leaving the yard.
Persaud said that the bandits discharged several shots in the air as they escaped.
He told Guyana Times, that the car he stopped for assistance collected the bandits and sped off the scene. The man said that the female bandit left one side of her footwear behind, while one of the male bandits ran out barefoot, also leaving his pair of “rubber slippers” behind.
Persaud said that they called 911 twice but did not get through so he had to call a relative who is a police officer.
He said that after the police came, they were helpful and transported them to the West Demerara Regional Hospital. However, he related that while on the way, he spotted a white Raum with a PRR registration number and alerted the officers.
The ranks managed to intercept the vehicle. A search was conducted on the vehicle and six live rounds of ammunition and an unlicenced pistol were unearthed.
According to the businessman, during the detainment, the suspect – whom he observed had on a pink shirt; the same as the person who was driving the vehicle that picked up the bandits – was resisting arrest and the cops had to fire a shot in the air to restrain him.
The police said that the suspect is in custody assisting with further investigations.