Tuesday, September 23, 2008

Robbery

Robbery Sat. Sept. 20, 2008

This afternoon, my daughter and I came home. My daughter (Maya) noticed a couple (in their 30's) on the porch, so we thought we would wait about 10 minutes before going home to let them go on down the street (we get solicitors all the time). We did not see them after 10 minutes, and we assumed they went away, I also checked the street looking for them, could not see them anywhere. We walked over to the house. I picked up some garbage from the front yard (a plastic juice bottle). The front door was locked, Maya unlocked it, and we went inside. Maya headed towards her room, and saw people in my bedroom putting items in bags. She ran over to me and said very quietly, “Mom, there in here”. I yelled at them to get out, they ran out the back door, that they had cut through. I chased them out the house and I caught up to the woman in the street in front of our house, where I grabbed her and tried to hold on to her. She was much heavier than I, but I held on to her for about 2 minutes or more. The man meanwhile kept tugging at her trying to pull her away from me, but I wouldn’t let go. He left for a second, then came back with mace and sprayed me point blank in my right eye and face. I started screaming, and as my grip loosened, he pulled her away. She ran for a plastic bag that she was caring but somehow I grabbed the bag and threw it to Maya and yelled for Maya to take it in the house. The woman and man then turned and ran down 5th street towards Euclid.

The burglers broke into our locked house by cutting their way through our security door from the back yard.

During the scuffle, Maya called the cops. They came in about 6 - 10 minutes. I think they were there a bit earlier, because they were driving around the neighborhood looking for the robbers before they came to the house.

It is 5:30 AM now, my face and eye still burns. My nerves are shot, and I am tired, but I won’t sleep until the morning. People are going to work. I think I will watch the sun rise today.

2 comments:

  1. Oh Bronwen! I am so sorry you and Maya had to go through this. Having been through a break-in myself, I know how you feel. You are a brave woman! I am glad you and Maya are okay.

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  2. Dear Bronwen and Maya,
    I am so sorry this happened, it's sad to think this is how others behave, violate others to survive.

    You and Maya are very brave, I know I wouldn't have the courage to do what you did. You both are heroines in my book!

    Tracy(a student)

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