‘HOLY’ BANDITS

Once inside the house, one of the female bandits quickly placed a piece of cloth soaked in chloroform (a chemical that causes unconsciousness) to the woman’s nose, causing her to collapse.

When she regained her senses, the victim was greeted with her entire house ransacked and valuables stolen.

The incident is worrisome to police who said it shows the level of lawlessness and disrespect by criminals who are bent on stooping to any level (including using the Bible) to gain the trust of their victims.

According to reports, at 10.15 am, Shelly Ann Jones, 34, was at her Chaguanas home when she heard a pleasant, female voice saying, “good morning.” Jones went to check who was calling and saw three women all dressed smartly in shirts and skirts, holding Bibles and indicating they wanted to preach the Word of God to her.

Thinking the three were members of the Jehovah Witness faith, who are well-known for going door to door preaching and praying, Jones later told police, she was in no way alarmed.

The victim proceeded to the yard to speak with the three, when one of them pulled out a gun from the waist of her skirt and pointed it at Jones. She was ordered back inside her house where the female bandits placed a piece of cloth over her causing her to lose consciousness.

Jones said she did not know what happened after and when she revived at 11.45 am, she saw her house ransacked and in disarray. She discovered over $25,000 in valuables and jewelry worth over $14,000, missing.

The jewelry, police said, included a pair of gold bracelets valued $5,000; a gold slave band valued $4,000; one gold ID bracelet worth $3,500; two gold chains valued $600 and five rings, valued $1,000.

The shell-shocked woman alerted Chaguanas police and crime scene officers along with CID officers led by Detective Constable Bhajan visited the house.

A check was carried out in the area for the suspects but to no avail. The victim was interviewed and her house ‘dusted’ for prints.

Yesterday, when a Newsday team visited Jones’ home to seek an interview, we were told she was heavily sedated on advice from her doctor.

A woman who said she was the victim’s aunt, said her niece who is a businesswoman and mother of two, remains deeply traumatised.

“Just look at how this country has reached where women are pretending to be God-fearing while hiding guns behind their Bibles and going around robbing innocent citizens,” the aunt said.

Central Division head Ag Snr Supt Kenny Mc Intyre said, “we have to put measures in place to deal with this. Traditionally, we would have looked at men carrying out such crimes but now it seems women are getting in on the act. It is sad to know we have to look at everybody, man woman and even child, with suspicious minds. But it is the reality in this country which we have to safeguard against.” The top cop advised persons to view any stranger outside their home or business as a potential criminal and take all necessary precautions including remaining inside, locking up the house or office and immediately contacting the area police as well as friends, neighbours or family members.

He said CCTV cameras have become a necessary party of a house or office.

Assistant Commissioner of Police (Central) Surujdeen Persad said he was alarmed on hearing of the incident and echoed McIntyre’s warnings.

He said patrols have been stepped up in the Division but underscored that citizens have a personal duty to safeguard themselves and their belongings, as it is humanly impossible for police to be everywhere, JUST how low will this country’s bandits go as they prey on innocent, law-abiding citizens? This was the question asked by police investigating a case in which three women, all clutching copies of the Holy Bible in their hands, held up a Chaguanas woman at gunpoint on Wednesday morning.

Once inside the house, one of the female bandits quickly placed a piece of cloth soaked in chloroform (a chemical that causes unconsciousness) to the woman’s nose, causing her to collapse.

When she regained her senses, the victim was greeted with her entire house ransacked and valuables stolen.

The incident is worrisome to police who said it shows the level of lawlessness and disrespect by criminals who are bent on stooping to any level (including using the Bible) to gain the trust of their victims.

According to reports, at 10.15 am, Shelly Ann Jones, 34, was at her Chaguanas home when she heard a pleasant, female voice saying, “good morning.” Jones went to check who was calling and saw three women all dressed smartly in shirts and skirts, holding Bibles and indicating they wanted to preach the Word of God to her.

Thinking the three were members of the Jehovah Witness faith, who are well-known for going door to door preaching and praying, Jones later told police, she was in no way alarmed.

The victim proceeded to the yard to speak with the three, when one of them pulled out a gun from the waist of her skirt and pointed it at Jones. She was ordered back inside her house where the female bandits placed a piece of cloth over her causing her to lose consciousness.

Jones said she did not know what happened after and when she revived at 11.45 am, she saw her house ransacked and in disarray. She discovered over $25,000 in valuables and jewelry worth over $14,000, missing.

The jewelry, police said, included a pair of gold bracelets valued $5,000; a gold slave band valued $4,000; one gold ID bracelet worth $3,500; two gold chains valued $600 and five rings, valued $1,000.

The shell-shocked woman alerted Chaguanas police and crime scene officers along with CID officers led by Detective Constable Bhajan visited the house.

A check was carried out in the area for the suspects but to no avail. The victim was interviewed and her house ‘dusted’ for prints.

Yesterday, when a Newsday team visited Jones’ home to seek an interview, we were told she was heavily sedated on advice from her doctor.

A woman who said she was the victim’s aunt, said her niece who is a businesswoman and mother of two, remains deeply traumatised.

“Just look at how this country has reached where women are pretending to be God-fearing while hiding guns behind their Bibles and going around robbing innocent citizens,” the aunt said.

Central Division head Ag Snr Supt Kenny Mc Intyre said, “we have to put measures in place to deal with this. Traditionally, we would have looked at men carrying out such crimes but now it seems women are getting in on the act. It is sad to know we have to look at everybody, man woman and even child, with suspicious minds. But it is the reality in this country which we have to safeguard against.” The top cop advised persons to view any stranger outside their home or business as a potential criminal and take all necessary precautions including remaining inside, locking up the house or office and immediately contacting the area police as well as friends, neighbours or family members.

He said CCTV cameras have become a necessary party of a house or office.

Assistant Commissioner of Police (Central) Surujdeen Persad said he was alarmed on hearing of the incident and echoed McIntyre’s warnings.

He said patrols have been stepped up in the Division but underscored that citizens have a personal duty to safeguard themselves and their belongings, as it is humanly impossible for police to be everywhere, all the time, at the same time.