Radhica De Silva
Senior Multimedia Reporter
radhica.sookraj@guardian.co.tt
Six robbers held an elderly couple under siege in their home on Monday night, beating and robbing them of cash, jewellery and their licensed firearms which had been stored in a safe.
The harrowing incident occurred on Monday night while Mohan Persad, 78, a retired proprietor, and Shirley Persad, 78, a housewife, were asleep at their Sixth Company Road, New Grant Princes Town home.
Investigators said the assailants broke into the house and entered the couple's bedroom.
All six wore dark clothing and one man carried a gun.
Two of the men then demanded money and started beating the elderly couple. They tied their hands with tie straps and covered their faces, leaving them helpless.
The thieves then ransacked the house. They forced open a vault containing $10,000 in cash, a Smith and Wesson revolver with 25 rounds of .38 ammunition valued at $7,000, a Remington shotgun with 10 rounds of 12-gauge ammunition valued at $8,000, a Samsung cellphone valued at $3,000, a Hicks DVR and an undisclosed quantity of gold jewellery.
Shirley was also robbed of her Samsung cellphone valued at $3,000 and an unspecified quantity of gold jewellery.
The bandits then fled. The couple later managed to raise an alarm. Police said the burglars gained entry by prying open a window on the eastern side of the house. They escaped through the front door located on the northern side.
Officers say they've retrieved viable fingerprint evidence.