A
gunman
early
yesterday
morning
terrorized
and
robbed
a
La
Jalousie
family
of
jewellery
worth
more
than
half
a
million
dollars
before
calmly
walking
away.
During
the
five-minute
ordeal,
the
man
fired
a
shot
though
it
did
not
strike
anyone
and
he
also
attempted
to
grab
a
four-month-old
baby
while
demanding
money
and
jewellery
but
the
baby's
mother
held
on
to
him
and
handed
over
her
jewellery
worth
at
least
$600,000.
Handed
over
her
jewellery
worth
at
least
$600,000
In
the
wake
of
the
robbery,
disappointment
was
expressed
at
the
long
time
it
took
for
the
police
to
respond
though
it
was
admitted
that
the
police
were
called
after
some
time
had
elapsed.
The
robbery
occurred
just
about
2:50
am
yesterday
at
the
La
Jalousie,
West
Demerara
home
of
Pulmattie
Puran.
Recounting
the
incident
yesterday,
the
still
shaken
woman
told
Stabroek
News
that
at
just
about
2:50
she
woke
up
to
find
a
man
kneeling
at
the
side
of
her
bed,
with
what
appeared
to
be
a
handkerchief
concealing
the
lower
part
of
his
face.
She
stated
that
he
appeared
to
be
looking
and
feeling
under
the
bed
to
see
if
anything
was
there
but
he
did
not
find
anything.
The
wardrobe
also
appeared
to
have
been
rifled
through
but
nothing
was
taken
and
she
said
that
she
had
slept
through
that.
The
woman
said
that
upon
realizing
that
a
strange
man
was
in
her
room
she
immediately
moved
to
one
side
of
the
bed
and
began
to
scream
and
the
bandit
quietly
walked
out
of
the
room
and
went
into
the
living
room.
She
said
that
she
kept
screaming
loudly.
It
was
unclear
as
to
whether
there
was
more
than
one
bandit
as
Puran
said
that
the
bandit
used
a
black
handkerchief
to
cover
the
lower
part
of
his
face,
while
her
daughter,
Kamlawattie
said
that
the
man
she
saw
used
a
blue
handkerchief
to
conceal
the
lower
part
of
his
face.
Similar
descriptions
were
given
of
the
man
and
none
of
them
saw
more
than
one
man.
The
bandit
had
apparently
gained
entry
by
jumping
from
the
step
onto
the
verandah
and
then
entered
through
the
verandah
door.
Prints
made
by
the
bandit
were
still
visible
yesterday
and
police
were
carrying
out
investigations
when
this
newspaper
visited.
Meanwhile,
after
leaving
the
elder
Puran's
room
the
bandit
entered
Kamlawattie's
room
where
her
husband
and
the
baby
were
also
sleeping
and
at
gunpoint
demanded
jewellery.
Using
expletives
the
bandit
demanded
that
Kamlawattie's
husband,
Latchman
"lay
down
on
yo
belly,
turn
yuh
face,
don't
look
at
me".
Kamlawattie
said
that
she
told
the
bandit
that
she
didn't
have
any
money
but
the
bandit
kept
repeating
his
demands
and
ransacked
the
wardrobe.
He
then
left
and
re-entered
her
mother's
room
and
began
demanding
money
and
jewellery
from
her.
"Me
sey,
ow
pickney,
me
nah
gat
no
money
and
jewels,"
the
woman
recounted.
Apparently
hearing
movement
in
Kamlawattie's
room
the
bandit
again
went
to
her
room
but
before
entering
fired
a
shot
which
penetrated
the
bedroom
wall
but
did
not
hit
anyone.
This
time
he
attempted
to
grab
the
baby
as
he
kept
demanding
jewellery
but
Kamlawattie
said
that
she
held
on
to
her
baby
and
placed
him
on
the
bed
and
handed
over
her
jewellery
which
she
had
in
a
bag
and
which
she
had
recently
refashioned,
but
hardly
wore.
Apparently
satisfied,
the
bandit
left.
By
this
time
the
constant
screaming
had
alerted
the
neighbours
but
in
the
meantime
her
mother
had
gone
silent
and
Kamlawattie
said
that
she
was
still
unsure
whether
the
bandit
had
really
gone.
She
noted
that
she
then
opened
the
window
and
watched
as
the
bandit
calmly
walked
out
the
road
and
in
the
direction
of
Windsor
Forest
and
then
rushed
over
to
her
mother
to
find
out
if
she
was
okay.
Her
three
other
children
in
another
room
had
awakened
by
this
time.
Meanwhile
disappointment
was
expressed
at
the
police
response
as
Pulmattie
said
that
they
did
not
turn
up
until
daybreak
even
though
she
had
called
the
Den
Amstel
police
about
three
times.
It
was
admitted
though
that
the
police
were
not
called
until
sometime
after
the
incident
as
Pulmattie
said
that
she
was
so
scared
that
she
could
not
speak.
She
said
that
after
3
am
she
first
called
the
Leonora
CID
as
she
had
their
phone
number
and
asked
for
the
telephone
number
for
the
nearby
Den
Amstel
Police.
When
this
was
obtained
she
called
that
station
and
informed
them
of
the
incident.
She
said
that
she
called
a
second
time
when
they
did
not
turn
up
and
then
a
third
time.
She
said
that
the
police
there
then
"call
back
to
ask
how
me
deh,
if
me
okay".
She
declared
that
it
was
not
until
the
intervention
of
someone,
who
is
a
police
officer
and
who
called
the
Vreed-en-Hoop
police
station
that
ranks
belonging
to
the
quick
response
squad
turned
up
at
daybreak.
The
bullet
was
yesterday
recovered
by
the
police
and
according
to
reports
is
one
used
by
a
9
mm
gun.
Yesterday,
the
elder
Puran
said
that
she
was
still
scared
and
it
was
believed
that
the
robbery
could
have
been
committed
by
someone
from
the
area.
Kamlawattie
noted
that
her
sister
had
been
robbed
in
a
similar
fashion
last
year.