Shocking: Tan showing the damaged front door of his home in Jalan Benang, Taman Sentosa, Johor Baru. — THOMAS YONG/The Star
JOHOR BARU: An elderly couple was left traumatised after three men broke into their house in the middle of the night and stole their belongings while they looked on helplessly.
Relating the incident, the 89-year-old victim who only wanted to be known as Tan, said his wife was roused from her sleep by a faint sound outside their house in Jalan Benang, Taman Sentosa, here, at around 3.30am on Monday.
As the sound became louder, his wife immediately woke him up and asked him to take a look outside.
“But as we got near the bedroom door, there was another loud thud and the door was flung open.
“We were shocked to see a burly man holding a torchlight and a long tool standing at the door.
“He gestured for us to stand back and keep quiet while two other men ransacked our house from top to bottom, even rummaging through our pillowcases.
“It was quite dark. When I tried to look at the man’s face, he shone the torchlight at me so I had to look away – I only noticed that he was wearing a face mask,” he said when met by The Star.
He added the men did not speak throughout the incident, not even when his 84-year-old wife said she wanted to go to the bathroom.
The man guarding the door only gestured for her to remain on the bed.
While he was worried about their safety, Tan said he tried his best to keep calm to prevent the men from turning violent.
“I think the men brought tools with them and also used a wire-cutter to cut the metal wiring at my front door to unlock the grille before entering my house.
“They took around RM1,100 and my wife’s jewellery but we are thankful that we’re unhurt, as there are many news reports about violent house break-ins where the victims were tied up and injured.
“We hope the police can increase patrols in the area so that such incidents will not happen again,” said Tan, who has been living there for 39 years.
His wife said besides being traumatised by the incident, she was sad that her gold jewellery such as rings, necklaces, bracelets and earrings, which she has had for years, were gone.
“I was planning to give them to my granddaughter when she comes to visit us from Kuala Lumpur and now it’s no longer possible,” she said.
She added that her son, who works in Singapore, rushed back to help them and replaced the locks at their home.
When contacted, Johor Baru South OCPD Asst Comm Raub Selamat said the case was being investigated under Section 395 of the Penal Code for armed robbery.
