Triumph family terrorized by armed gang
Stabroek News
October 17, 2002
A Triumph family has left their home after being terrorised and robbed by four masked and gun-toting bandits on Tuesday evening.
A beaten and traumatised Drepaul Beharry, a senior bank employee, his wife and their two children are not staying at their home since the attack.
According to the police, the Beharrys who live at Sideline Dam - also known as the Agriculture Road because it runs past the Guyana School of Agriculture - were attacked by the four bandits at about 7:30 p.m.
From reports, the men entered the home through the ground floor back door, which the family normally leaves open as is the custom in these areas.
The police said the men probably came from the backdam since behind the house are farmlands and beyond a trench, vacant land.
Prior to robbing the family, the bandits held Beharry’s wife and a daughter hostage on the ground floor. Beharry, upon hearing the commotion, went to investigate but found the bandits taking his wife upstairs.
They held him at gunpoint and beat him demanding money and jewellery. Because one of the girls, a nine-year-old, had been crying one of the bandits slapped her to get her to stop making noises.
They robbed the family of an undisclosed sum of money and jewellery and threatened to go back because they felt they had not been given enough.
At the time the area had a blackout and according to the police, one of the bandits lit an additional candle and proceeded to search the place while threatening and beating the parents.
They discharged several rounds before they made their way on foot back through the backdam.
It would appear that the bandits, who wore hooded jackets and masks had crossed the trench because they were partially soaked and muddied.
According to the police, apart from preliminary reports, they could not search the area because of the power outage. The police went back to the scene of the crime yesterday but were unable to search for spent shells or conduct further investigations because the home was locked up.
Since the Beharry family members left the home on Tuesday evening to seek medical attention they have not returned.
A family member went to the home sometime after noon yesterday and moved the Beharrys’ car that had been left on the driveway. The person picked up some items of clothing that had been left on a line and locked up the house once more.
The police said from the report given, the bandits had asked the family many questions.
They wanted to know the status of the people who lived in the area including whether they had money or not.