A pensioner died from a suspected heart attack during a robbery at his Lusignan, East Coast Demerara home on Wednesday morning, during which he and his wife were tied up and assaulted by the masked assailants.
Seventy-year-old Deonarine Singh of Lusignan, East Coast Demerara was found dead in his home on Wednesday morning, moments after two masked bandits invaded the premises and carted off some $800,000 in cash and a quantity of jewellery.
69-year-old Sherin Hanif
Following the incident, the Guyana Times visited the home of the deceased, where his wife of some 30 years: 69-year-old Sherin Hanif, also known “Aunty Baby”, recalled the incident.
Hanif said that she woke up early that day to start her daily chores. At approximately 03:30hrs, the elderly woman said she recalled hearing a knocking sound while using the washroom, after which she was confronted by two men fully dressed in black clothing and masks.
“I tell you that I hear something knock when I pull the blind. Here comes one of the bandits, hold me and choke me in my neck, and carry me and put me to lie down on the toilet bowl straight. And he choke me loose and I fight. He said, ‘don’t keep… don’t holler’. Then he tie me two hand, tie me two knee, tie me two foot, and he put some cloth in my mouth, then he get up.”
During the ordeal, the woman said that her husband had called her name however, she couldn’t respond due to being restrained. After what felt like hours, Hanif said she was able to untie herself.
“And then I get up, when I come, I see he lie down, and he foot his hand all tie up, and I watch him, he not breathe. Then I call my big brother on the phone, and then he jump over the fence and he come, and then he call police and so, and police come.”
It is suspected that Singh suffered a heart attack during the ordeal which led to his demise. No marks of violence were seen on his body when investigators visited the crime scene.
Hanif and her now dead husband would sell vegetables and beverages from their home to earn a living.
