Elderly couple beaten, robbed at home

According to reports, at about 5.30 pm, Joan Bates-Davis, 72, and her husband Howard Quamina, 79, were at their home when the men, armed with cutlasses, forced their way into the house. After planassing (beating with flat side of the cutlass) the couple, the intruders demanded cash and other valuables.

The men then loaded a quantity of household electronic items and bottles of alcohol into a van belonging to the victims and then drove off.

The victims alerted the police who set up roadblocks and subsequently intercepted the stolen vehicle and arrested the two men.

All of the stolen items were recovered. The suspects, aged 21 and 23, are from Crown Trace in Enterprise, Chaguanas. They were kept Sunday night at Santa Cruz police station and then moved to the Morvant police station where the robbery victims were supposed to attend an Identification Parade yesterday to point the suspects out.

The suspects face a number of charges including assault, assault with intent, robbery, possession of an offensive weapon and larceny of a motor vehicle.

Once charged, they will appear before a Port of Spain magistrate.

Investigations are continuing.