Bandits tell P/Town couple: 'We come for the roti money'

Four armed bandits smashed their way into the home of a Princes Town couple early on Monday and beat and robbed them of "roti money."

The victims, Carol and Raffick Ramkissoon, who live at Naparima/Mayaro Road in Iere Village, said they had been selling buss-up-shut, having taken orders from customers for Saturday's Divali holiday.

"We come for the roti money," said Carol, 48, recalling one of the bandits' words.

"They also asked for jewellery. One bust and took a gold chain from my neck, and the gold bracelet I was wearing."

The bandits also planassed Carol twice on her back and hit Raffick, 57, three times on the head with a gun butt.

They made off with the cash from the roti sales. They also stole a 55-inch TV, three cellphones, an iPad, and bottles of male perfumes.

Carol recalled that she and her husband were awakened by the sounds of someone trying to break into the house at around 3.20 am on Monday.

Video footage shows four masked men, one with a gun, another with a cutlass, and a third with a bolt-cutter, walking in. The fourth culprit was speaking on a cell phone during the entire incident.

The footage shows them smashing the front sliding doors with the bolt-cutter. Carol said the men then broke down the door to the bedroom, smashing a TV in the process.

Before the men entered, she called to neighbours through a window for help.

Four neighbours sprang into action and began walking to the house. But the gunman stopped them in their tracks, threatening to shoot if they came closer.

"With the help of God, I pushed my head out of the window and called out. We are thanking them (neighbours) for trying. Right now, I am still traumatised," Carol said.

"The bandits knew we had orders for the roti, because they specified what they came for."

The Ramkissoons run a mini-mart at the front of their house.

Ramkissoon told Newsday he had noticed the family’s three dogs did not bark at the men.

"Two were loose, and one in a cage at the front. The dogs were not barking at the bandits. Instead, they were wagging their tails," he said.

Princes Town and San Fernando police responded, but the bandits had already fled. Up to Tuesday, they remained at large.

Princes Town police are investigating.