Woman comes home to empty house - Thieves invade residence, taking all they could carry

A St Catherine homeowner has been left devastated after she returned to her abode to find that thieves made off with almost every item they could carry.

The homeowner, who asked not to be named, told THE STAR that she had only been living in the community for about two months, and is now questioning if all the sacrifice was worth it.

"They took everything that they could take, some money I had in the house, TV, my AC, microwave, laptops, phones, jewellery, even the remote and the fire stick. They even took the pan of silver I had saving. When I came home, it was like the place was almost cleared out. If them coulda move with the bed they would," she said.

She estimates her loss to be more than $500,000. Thieves also stole a welding tool valued at more than $200,000 that belonged to her partner, who uses it for his livelihood.

"All now him can't buy back one so you know how that go with him and working enough to make money," she said. The woman explained that she even tried to track one of the stolen phones, which was used for over two months after the burglary, but said that despite reporting it to the police, she received no update.

"I've been working with the Government for more than 26 years, and I always wanted a home," she shared. "When the opportunity came, I grabbed it, because owning a home in Jamaica is not easy. But I finally did and can't enjoy it. The joy I had when I moved in it's gone."

She admitted that if she could sell the house now, she would, but doubts she would get enough to cover her National Housing Trust payments.

"They told us it was a 'peace of paradise' but we have no peace," she lamented.

The housing development, located in Innswood, was marketed as a peaceful and modern development, with some units priced upward of $17 million, with several modern amenities.

But despite the glossy brochures, residents say the reality on the ground is far from paradise, as criminals prey on the community.

"People are losing their cars, their valuables, and it's like we're sitting ducks," the woman said. "They put up a gate, but it's not functioning yet. So right now, it's free-for-all."

Spanish Town and its surrounding communities have long been plagued by crime and violence, with sporadic flare-ups of gang-related bloodshed over the years. Residents of the housing development had hoped that it would be a safe haven. Instead, many now live in fear.

"I cannot sleep comfortably. I'm always on edge," the homeowner said. "Every time I hear another story of someone getting broken into, it just saddens me even more."

Efforts by THE STAR to contact Deputy Superintendent of Police Michael Campbell, head of the St Catherine South Police Division, for a comment, were unsuccessful.