Elderly woman roughed up as masked men burglarise her home

Five armed men made their way into the home of 75-year-old Alma Ferdinand of Ottley Hall around midnight of February 24 and stole a quantity of valuables and cash.

The business woman said she handed over to the intruders around US$400 along with four gold chains, three wedding rings plus, two other [gold] rings, and a wrist watch.

“The only one thing I didn’t hand over was my shop key because if I did hand over my shop key they would’ve [robbed] the shop because the shop properly stocked,” Ferdinand told SEARCHLIGHT.

The elderly woman who operates a shop located in her yard from which she also sells newspapers said the bandits also physically abused her.

“They beat me, and they choked me. They throw me on a bed and choked me for me not to bawl out. I knock away their hand, and then afterward I start to bawl out…one hold me and start to beat me up. They tell me ‘shut up, shut up’, ‘pass over the key, pass over the shop key’. I told the one who beat me up…this is my place. He said, ‘you know well I’m a Trinidadian…they change up their voice then…and so afterward I start to bawl out…”.

She said the burglars were dressed in black hoodies and wore masks but Ferdinand was able to notice that one of them was short and the others were thin. She also picked up that one of the men was speaking with a fake accent.

When the burglars went downstairs, Ferdinand was able to run from the house to one of her neighbours.

The bandits reportedly helped themselves to five pints of village ram and five boxes of juice.

The police were contacted and got on the scene around 1:30 a.m., the elderly woman said.

Ferdinand said she believes the men are from her village and know her which is why they didn’t kill her.

This is the second time that the elderly woman is having this experience but Ferdinand said she finds the thought of leaving the area extremely difficult as she has spent much of her life in Ottley Hall.

The Criminal Investigations Department of the Royal St Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force told SEARCHLIGHT on Monday that the matter is being investigated. No one has so far been arrested in connection with this incident.