By Leroy Smith
A family of seven from Lot 124 Section ‘A’ No.70 Village, East Berbice, Corentyne, is now living in fear after an estranged lover of a former teacher went berserk and attacked the members of the family with a cutlass as they were walking on the roadway Christmas Eve night.
The incident has left the former teacher who is the girlfriend of the man with a severed left arm and herself and mother with several chops to their bodies, including their necks.
The two, Bhartie Udho, 23 and her mother Amika Udho, 42, are presently hospitalised at the Georgetown Public Hospital Surgical Ward.
Those managed to escape the blade of the suspect were two boys, ages 17 and 14 years old and two girls, ages 18 and 15 years old.
The suspect has been identified as Shamar Mohamed Ali also known as ‘Crab Man”. He has since gone into hiding.
The News Room was told that the family who secured a restraining order from the court preventing the suspect from coming within a certain distance of them, were heading for a Christmas Eve Night walk when the man jumped out of the bush and attacked them.
“While walking not too far from home, this man that name ‘crab man’ suddenly come out of the bush and take a rope and throw it around my sister’s neck and pull her down to the ground. he put his knees on her and then take out a cutlass and start chopping at my sister and two brothers, me and mother” the victim’s 18-year-old sister explained via a phone interview.
She said that it was during the assault her mother suffered injuries as she attempted to rescue her daughter from the man who seemed to be under the influence of some form of drug.
“He chop mom and she fell on the ground. He chopped her to the back of her head and he chopped off my sister left arm and also chopped her to the back of her head, her back and forehead and also chopped off one of her fingers” it was related to the News Room.
As the incident took place, the family screamed for help but persons in the community were hesitant to come out as they were afraid of vicious dogs which normally roam the streets. Added to that, it was communicated to this News outlet that the community also experienced a murder some time back and that has added to the fear residents exhibit.
It took some time before the father and the 15-year-old girl who was not at the scene prior, rushed to the aid of the other family members and it was at that point that the suspect also attacked them before fleeing into the nearby bushes. He is yet to be located.
The injured women were picked up and rushed to the Skeldon Hospital where doctors there transferred them to the New Amsterdam Hospital which in-turn transferred them to the Georgetown Public Hospital where they are currently being treated. They are said to be having difficulty speaking and are displaying visible signs of pain, the News Room was told.
