“I holler and I holler” – Berbice woman recalls robbery

…as bandit threatened to sever husband’s neck

A family of Warren village, East Coast Berbice (Region Six, East Berbice-Corentyne) was on Sunday evening beaten and robbed by two armed bandits. The incident occurred at about 18:30h.
Police have said the suspects, masked and armed with a shotgun and cutlass, are still at large. One of the victims reportedly held on to the cutlass with all his might in an effort to save his life.
At the time of the incident, 58-year-old ranger Frankie Baker and his 68-year-old wife Liloutie were at home.

Frankie and Liloutie Baker

According to Liloutie, she was relaxing in a chair under their house listening to music when her husband gave her his cellular phone and went to the gate.
“He said he was going to see if the watchman came for the Hymac. The man (bandit) was by the gate, and raise up the cutlass to chop him and punch him back into the yard.”
As Frankie was being pushed back towards his wife, a second intruder carrying a gun appeared at the gateway.
“He come to me and tell me, ‘Don’t make no noise’, but the one with the cutlass tell Frankie if he make any noise he gon chop out his neck, and Frankie start to holla and he raise the cutlass to chop him and Frankie hold on to the cutlass for life, and he keep hollering.”
According to Liloutie, the bandit alongside her told her to take off the gold bangles and earrings she was wearing, and she complied. In the process, she passed out. When she regained consciousness, she was lying on the floor and her husband was still holding on to the cutlass and screaming.
A young family member who was on his way from the bath, was approached and questioned about the location of the ‘gold and money’.
“He said he don’t know anything about that,” Liloutie related.
“He (bandit) keep asking me for money, and I told them that I don’t have any.”
Meanwhile, Frankie, in giving his account of the ordeal, which he said lasted for about twenty minutes, said he continued to hold on to the cutlass even though it was cutting his hand.
“I holler and I holler and my brother come out and take a cutlass and lash it three times on the canter [enclosed lorry].”
This, baker explained, was done in an effort to scare the bandits.
“While me and the one fighting, the other one keep going and peeping at the gate to see if anybody coming from the back.”
He said he was also cuffed several times.
The bandits escaped with two cellular phones valued at $90,000 and $100,000 worth in gold jewellery. In leaving, the men reportedly fled into the backlands. Police responded swiftly but had some difficulty locating the building.
Both victims were escorted to the New Amsterdam Public Hospital, where they were seen, treated and sent away.
The couple have been living there for 24 years, and say it was their first experience of such an incident.
A manhunt has been launched for the bandits. (G4)