Gunmen hit Enmore business thrice in four years

Last evening, the Bactowar family of Enmore, East Coast Demerara,

Benny and Maureen Bactowar are determined to continue their business.

suffered their third robbery in four years..
Five armed unmasked bandits escaped with an undisclosed amount of cash, a cellular phone, and scratch tickets, but the victims do not feel defeated. They are determined to continue their grocery and hardware businesses but with some minor adjustments.
During the 10-minute ordeal, which began around 19:00 hrs, they were able to shout for help and fight off their attackers.
Cognizant that the policing group and neighbourhood police were alerted of the robbery the bandits hastily escaped by jumping over the back fence and then crossing a nearby trench. Searches by members of the Community Policing Group, who arrived promptly at the scene, turned up empty.
The injured family members were taken to the hospital.
Circumstances surrounding the robbery have convinced family members that their assailants have been watching their movements for a while. The Bactowars open their businesses (grocery and hardware) everyday at 7:00 hrs and close at 19:00 hrs.
According to proprietor of the grocery shop, Maureen, they were closing up their businesses when the gunmen struck. The visibly traumatized woman said that while her husband, Benny, was closing the main gate she was fetching chairs from outside when she was attacked by a bandit.
A terrified Maureen, who shouted out in alarm, received a blow from a gun that wounded her head. By this time, the other four men had scaled the fence and pounced on the family. One of them chocked Benny, who thought it was his son, Kapildeo being playful.
But Benny soon realized that it was not his son, who operates the hardware shop. His refusal to say how many persons reside at the business place earned him a punch to the eye. When this publication visited the location around 21:00 hrs the man’s wound was still bleeding.
“He (the bandit) asked wheh de money. She seh de money deh in de basket and he asked wheh it deh and I show he and then I run to de back and see three a dem jump over de fence,” Benny said.
Even with the pressure of fighting off the bandit the man shouted for help and attracted the attention of his neighbours.
While, Maureen was forced to the ground and Kapildeo received blows from the bandits, Benny came back to the front and noticed one of the bandits. He tried to lock the man out of the enclosed shop area but was forced to stop when the man pointed a gun at him.
However, the elderly man did not cease his struggle. As soon as the opportunity presented itself he threw two chairs on the man.