The trauma of being held at gunpoint, beaten and robbed while your young child lies just in the other room is now settling in for the Persaud family as they take new security measures to protect their Enmore, East Coast Demerara (ECD) home.
Four gunmen reportedly invaded the home of Chatterpaul Persaud during the wee hours of Tuesday and carted off over $7 million in cash, jewellery, a DVR and television set.
The Persaud’s home
The incident occurred around 02:00h, and the gunmen gained entry through a door they pried open. The men then pounced upon Persaud and his wife, Naleni Deonarine, and held them at gunpoint, tied them up, and proceeded to ransack their home.
Upon entry into the home, the gunmen reportedly dealt Persaud several lashes to his head after he refused to cooperate in handing over his valuables. During their search, the gunmen found a quantity of gold jewellery and an undisclosed sum of cash, which they bagged. In addition, after leaving the man’s home, they went to his mother’s home, which is adjacent to his. There, they held the 51-year-old woman, Haimwantie, and her 51-year-old husband, Gahansham at gunpoint, demanding cash and jewellery.
Out of fear for her life, the woman cooperated and handed over a quantity of gold jewellery and a sum of cash. Upon collecting same, the gunmen fled the scene.
Chatterpaul related that after he realised the men had left, he began to untie himself and raised an alarm.
“After them man beat we up and tumble up the house and left, me try and loose out meself and then me wife. We run up to me mother house and me uncle them call the Police,” he related.
Chatterpaul Persaud and his wife Naleni Deonarine
“We call the Enmore Station first, but them man nah come, then we call the Cove and John Station and them come about half hour after and then when them come, them do them investigation and then today them tell we that them still looking to see if them find anybody,” Chatterpaul added.
The vegetable vendor related that his family was so traumatised that they have begun locking all their gates and doors while at home during the day.
The man received head injuries and had to get 10 stitches.
“I never feel so in me life, but when them man come in the house them tell me that we can’t face one another and then them take the sheet and one of he (Chatterpaul’s) jersey and tie we up. When I turn next to he, I see he face cover in blood and I tell them man ‘ayo, take everything but nah do we nothing, me got one lil baby’ and then them start tumbling up the house,” Deonarine related.
She added that they were still trying to recover from the incident and were having trouble dealing with the effects.
The men reportedly removed some staves from the fence and gained access to the yard. The property was secured and was protected by security cameras; however, the DVR that was stolen had all the footage. The family has since increased security.
