BY JOHN HOUANIHAU
Armed intruders broke into a house at Belaha early yesterday morning, threatening a couple with a knife before stealing valuables in the latest of a series of criminal activities at Belaha area and surrounding communities in Central Guadalcanal.
The incident occurred at around 3am yesterday, when two intruders allegedly broke into the couple’s home while they were asleep.
Victim Hollan Soma told this paper yesterday that the men entered through a window after cutting the protective wire mesh before confronting him and his wife inside their bedroom.
According to Mr Soma, his wife was the first to wake after sensing someone inside the house.
He said that as she tried to raise a shout, one of the intruders immediately threatened her with a knife.
“He put the knife close to my wife’s eye and warned her not to shout or speak. He told her that if she moved, they would cut her neck,” Soma said.
He said that one of the intruders stood guard over his wife with the knife while the other searched through their belongings.
“I stayed where I was because I couldn’t do anything. If I reacted, they could have attacked my wife or me,” he said.
He said that the intruders stole the couple’s wallets, an iPhone 11, and a torch before fleeing the scene.
Soma said only $450 was inside his wallet because, after previous break-ins in the area, he had started hiding cash elsewhere.
Soma believes at least two men entered the house, while others may have remained outside.
“We saw two inside the house, but we don’t know how many were waiting outside. The suspects, believed to be men in their 40s, were armed but did not wear masks.
“This is the same kind of incident that has been happening in our area.
“We don’t know why this is happening. Because of the repeated break-ins, we often wake up during the night to check around the house,” he said.
He added that police had conducted patrols in the area before the incident, but believes the suspects may have hidden until officers had passed.
“Police were patrolling before it happened, but I think the intruders hid somewhere until the patrol moved on,” he said.
Soma and his wife reported the incident to Henderson Police yesterday.
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