lesson never to let your guard down

[tropicana]

prepare to be tramaustized by just reading this , a real life account of what occurred and happened to my aunt Valerie in barbados on new years eve Mon dec 31...
im still shaking...and i wasnt even there, but her account was so well written, i had to post this...thank god everyone will be ok physically, it will take some time to get over this emotionally tho. Truly heart stopping. When i wrote her, i didnt have any idea as to how serious the situation was.
Never ever let your guard down, always be vigilant when it comes to strangers esp who try to befriend you.

JUSTIN in toronto WROTE
Jan 1 at 7:01pm
happy new year valerie! i read your note, what happened? are you ok? did the intruder hurt anyone? how terrible, if he hurt anyone, id fly right now to barbados and PLUNDER HIM!!! no one messes with my fam! well, gimme some details nah! ha just tell me you guys are ok. Hope your christmas was merry and bright.

VALERIE in Barbados WROTE
Jan 2 at 8:14am
Happy New Year, Justin! Thanks for your concern. . .

It happened around 4.30 in the afternoon on December 31. A man came to my housekeeper Margaret who was in our yard feeding the birds, asking her to fill a soda bottle with water, as his car had broken down on the nearby highway. She did so and he left. Then about 45 minutes later, he returned, asking her for water to drink, that he was thirsty. He drank several glasses of water, and when she returned to refill the final glass for him, he suddenly appeared in the house by the fridge where she was getting it for him and neck-locked her, holding a ten inch knife to her throat. He was demanding money - my husband who was nearby in the kitchen (but thought that she knew the guy) heard her screaming and told the man he would go and get money for him, but the man wouldn't let him go for it. My son who was visiting at the time, and was in a nearby room, ran to the scene, and the man demanded money from him too. Phil told him his wallet was in his car and he would have to go for it - the man said "nah nah, you aint doing dat. . ."


The fight then ensued, my husband (who is almost 75 and is diabetic) and Phil attacked the man, and pushed him up against a wall, pelting blow after blow in his face trying to get the knife away from him. I was meanwhile in the bedroom wing of the house, happily trying on my Old Years Night (new years eve) dress, when I heard the sounds of things breaking and crashing and screaming. I rushed out and found this scene of absolute terror - the man trying to kill Margaret with the knife, and the guys fighting him off. Phil and David cuffing him hard as hell all over his face, hitting him with a full bottle of beer in his head, with a huge rock - all I could do was to scream out to the top of my voice in terror, grab my cellphone and call for help. This guy seemed to be stoned on crack or something, feeling no pain. They were able to get his hand with the knife jammed against the corner of the wall, the blade bent and separated from the handle and fell to the ground, but he still wouldn't let Margaret go from the head-lock. Phil ran for a rifle that he knew was in his step-father's closet in the bedroom, and came back threatening to kill the man if he didn't let her go - at which point the man released Margaret who went for an axe handle and started beating on the guy too - for only for an instant it seemed they had overcome him . . but then he shook his leg and out of his track suit pants, he quickly pulled out a collins (a kind of cutlass they use for reaping cane) - he began hacking at David. Dave ducked a blow intended for his head, and he got him right down the centre of his nose - blood everywhere. He received several slashes and cuts on his hands as he tried to stop him. You see, our rifle was unloaded, but there was no time for Phil to find the ammunition which was hidden away in a different place and load it, he had to fake it. Everything was happening very fast. My son then pulled David away from the man's reach and went to the defense of his stepfather. The man then turned on Phil, hacking at him with the collins. He received a bad cut on his hand when he put up his hand to stop a blow to his neck, and a couple of slashes on his shoulders. Phil fought him off, grabbing his hand with the collins, then hit him hard in his face with his elbow but then both of them slipped and fell to the ground in the beer, when they fell they both lost their weapons - the man grabbed Phil's rifle and Phil grabbed the collins. The fight had moved back into to the kitchen - Phil picked up a kitchen chair and pelted at the guy - Now the man had the rifle and shot at Phil, not realizing it was unloaded, then he shot at David - same thing. Now that he had lost his knife and collins and had an unloaded rifle he started to run away . Meanwhile my husband had gone for his pistol and fired at the man at quite close range, but but the damn thing jammed and wouldn't fire!!

My frantic screaming was heard by the neighbours who called police and ambulance - they responded very quickly. Phil got into one of the police cars and went on the manhunt with them, but he had vanished, taking with him the unloaded rifle.

It could have been mass murder - instead, my husband and son were wounded but not fatally. Phil's cut between his finger and thumb went right down to the tendons, but did not sever them. They were rushed off for emergency treatment. Our housekeeper was saved, but was in terrible shock - she has painful has bruises from where the man held her around her throat. Margaret is 50 years old, and is the sweetest, kindest person ever, she has been with us for over 30 years and is like family.

The police have the knife, the collins, his cap, both of his sandals, the soda bottle and the glass he used for the water - all of which he left behind. There was blood everywhere and chaos.

We all are all suffering from the aftermath, and are still dealing with police statements etc, and as far as I know, they are still on the hunt for him - just hope they catch this dangerous bastard soon. At first David regretted that his gun jammed and he didn't get him, now he's glad he didn't kill a man.

All I got was a sore throat from screaming, glass in my foot and a terrifying lifetime memory of helplessly witnessing this horrible scene.
We're all grateful to be alive and just hope nobody else has to experience such a terrible thing. Phil and David were so very brave. The wounds are healing, and I hope that time will help with the memory of it.


-justin-

[CajunMama]

Unbelievable! What a terrifying event. Someone was watching over your aunt and her family. I hope all wounds, mental and physical, will heal soon.

[Dionne]

Y'all are very fortunate to have survived an attack with a Collins machete. Sugar cane workers are quite skilled with the use of this tool. Descendants of slaves in the Leewards have passed the expertise use of this tool from one generation to the next.

[tropicana]

thanks for your concerns... here is some good news i just got off of her facebook:-

Valerie is overjoyed that the police just called to say they apprehended the man last night!! Praise God!! 56m ago
yay! YAY!

-justin-

[tropicana]

UPDATE UPDATE
Valerie wrote on Jan 4 at 8:58am
The detective phoned this morning to say they picked him up, without a struggle, and also retrieved the rifle, which had already passed through many hands. He admitted to being high on cocaine at the time and wanted money.

Yesterday he was seen walking around the little village near our home, selling stolen food items. He went to the window of Margaret's (the housekeeper) house to sell the stuff, and she positively identified him - he didn't even recognize her!!
We alerted the police. Margaret's boyfriend was out to get him, and followed the man to see where he was living. So the police got a lot of leads and thank God, he's been caught. My son and Margaret have to go today to do the ID parade thing at the station. Hope they lock him away for a long time. He certainly terrorized all of us!
But unfortunately, there are more where he came from . . . our little island paradise has also fallen prey to the drug culture.

Thanks for your concern, and love to you. . .

[Dionne]

According to the CIA fact sheet.....Barbados is a known tansshipment point for narcotics bound for Europe and the U.S. Offshore banking cleans the drug money. It is a common problem for many islands in the eastern Caribbean. On St Kitts, the island we love so dearly, drug dealers have approached us several times wanting to make sales.