Friday, February 22, 2019

Violence in the Dominican Republic - The Incident

I promised to tell you about what I call The Incident, which may also explain why I haven’t blogged much recently.

It was Tuesday, February 5 and Danilo and a Canadian lady staying with us were in his rustic gym in the back garden. She wanted to get fit and so after they had done their exercises in the gym, they would go for a 15- or 20-minute run. I heard them in the gym, but I was busy collecting articles to do the news for DR1 – the expat Dominican Republic forum.

It was exactly 9.30 am when I was interrupted by a lady messaging who wanted information about the Police Good Conduct report in the DR, and I was about to reply to her when a man slid open the patio door to the garden and walked towards me. I had never seen him before but in his right hand he had a gun, pointing at me. He stopped about 6 feet in front of my desk.

I didn’t have time to ask him anything before he started screaming “Don’t look at me” which he did several times. I asked him calmly what he wanted, and told him to calm down. I would have used the English saying “Don’t get your knickers in a twist,” but am not sure how that translates to Spanish.

He said he wanted money, and I replied that I had some but not a lot, and asked him not to hurt the dogs. I had one each side of me, just looking at him. I told the dogs to stay and shut up and stood up – he made me put my hands in the air – and went to the dining table next to my desk where my handbag was.

I reached in for my purse, which made him start waving the gun about, and was about to get the money out of my purse when he stopped me, so I put it down on the table. He then screamed at me to lie on the floor. I kept telling him I did not understand as I wanted to know if he spoke English and also, I had no idea why he would want me to lie down.

He pointed to the corner of the room behind the dining table and I sat down. He told me to turn around and lie face down, and put the gun to the back of my head. I asked him not to kill me. But there was no reply and he did not speak again. I took my glasses off and lay them next to me on the floor before lying down.

He then twisted both arms behind my back and sat on my back – there was no way I could move my arms or my body. I assumed he was going to tie me up. I should be so lucky. Then he put some sort of cloth or towel in my mouth and covered my nose with it as well and held it tightly in place with his hand which by now had a surgical glove on it. I could not breathe in nor out. A most peculiar and uncomfortable feeling. I tried to fight to move my head and my arms as I was desperate to breathe but each time I did, he smashed my face into the tiled floor. I tried playing dead (as I have seen that work on the television)  and again he grabbed me by the hair on the back of my head and hit my face against the floor.

I had hoped there would be chloroform on the pad – but there was nothing, and I just wanted it over with. And then after around a minute, it was. Blissful nothing.

Meanwhile, Danilo and the guest returned from their run and he heard someone running through the woods. Danilo quickly approached the house on high alert and immediately saw I was not at my desk. He scanned the room and saw me lying on the floor in the corner, face down. He turned me over and my eyes were open but unseeing. He and the guest quickly put me in the car, unconscious and set off at speed for the hospital. Soon I began thrashing around, then talking nonsense and then the guest noticed a large baseball sized lump appearing on my temple. It grew and then opened showering her and me in blood and continued to bleed profusely. I was then able to say I had been attacked – until then they thought I had just fallen over – and I thought I might have been shot in the head.

At the hospital following x-rays and a cat scan it was confirmed I had not been shot nor did I even have a fractured skull. The lump on my head was drained, cleaned and stitched. My mouth was cut everywhere inside – no idea how and I was covered in bruises. I was admitted for twenty-four hours and the next day was home. The bruises have mostly gone now, but I have been left with neurological damage on my left side so I need more hospital visits and tests to see what is causing it and if it can be cured in any way. I am hoping just time will heal it.

You will be wondering how I felt during all this. Well I felt no pain at any time, but being suffocated is not pleasant at all. I have no idea how long it would take to kill someone but I don’t think I could have managed much longer. It appears he heard them coming back from the run before the deed was done, so smacked me hard on my temple with the gun, hoping that would do the trick. Takes more than that to get rid of me! I was pretty sure I was going to die and the only thoughts I had were that I hoped Danilo and guest would not return or he might kill them and I did not want him to hurt the dogs – which he didn’t. My overriding emotion, once I had worked out fighting him was not working, was total acceptance of what was to come – I just wanted the discomfort of being suffocated to be over quickly. So, I was much calmer than I would have thought I would be in that situation.

And the perp? It took me a few days to work it out. He looked Dominican but he didn’t. He dressed like a Dominican but he didn’t. He spoke like a Dominican but he didn’t. And I have never heard of Dominicans suffocating people. This guy had done it before – I felt like he was a professional. It turns out he was Venezuelan – there are tens of thousands in the Dominican Republic now, having fled from their country, and yes, he had killed by suffocation a few times before in Venezuela. It was a total random attack as he was scouting out houses which back onto the woods to rob. He thought the house was empty as he saw Danilo and the guest leaving on their run, hence he was surprised to see me, and as he did not want to be identified he had to dispose of me.

Several different police forces came from all of the surrounding areas. They were very pleasant but they took no forensic evidence at all, not my clothes, nor fingerprints, nor did they search the area. The local prosecutor was very professional as was the medical examiner who had to assess my injuries.

So, all’s well that ends well – and the current level of nerve damage is liveable with, assuming it gets no better or worse. I am very very thankful as the ending could have been very different. And it's another chapter for book 3!!

Around eight hours after the attack.


23 comments:

  1. Oh my goodness! I’m glad you’re okay! Did they put that guy in jail?

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    1. Thanks. I don't know but I only know he was arrested.

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    2. Ah....If the arrested him and set a date at the fiscalia and you didn't go, he would be released. Just the way is works around here.

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  2. Lindsay
    You are one strong woman .I admire your courage and strength .I am glad the ending turn out the way it did because it could have been alot worst ,you could have been murdered . But I always say "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger " .Take care of yourself girl ..So grateful your o.kay .
    S
    ay hi to Danilo for me .

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    1. Thanks Connie and he says hi back! Looking forward to seeing you one day soon!

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  3. I am sorry to say this, but I can't help but feel this was a targeted attack.
    If your home was chosen at random, why in the world would he not assume there were multiple people at home? How many Dominican homes have only 2 inhabitants?
    Why in the world would he take the time to suffocate you instead of grabbing your cash and leaving? Or grabbing the cash and shooting you? A rudimentary silencer is very easy to make - wouldn't a 'career criminal' have figured out how to do that?
    What in heaven's name is a Venezuelan thief/murderer doing out in the deep campo where everyone knows everyone? What an odd choice, to go where you stick out like a sore thumb.
    Something is rotten in the state of Denmark, sweet lady.

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    1. It wasn't targeted and many campo homes here have only 2 people. If there are more, the family live in different homes nearby or on the same plot. I had seen his face hence had to be disposed of. Venezuelans are all over the country and there are so many now they are in every town city and village. The gun was a home made gun, they only hold one bullet - I wondered why he didnt shoot me - I think the gun was probably empty. And no one targets us as we have large dogs which Dominicans are terrified of.

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  4. Forgot to add: he had brought a surgical glove? Hmmmm. Very odd, that.

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  5. The way that you, not only cope with trauma, but also do it with a dash of sense of humour thrown in, never ceases to amaze me! You are one incredible lady who I am so proud to call my friend. Love you xXx

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  6. Wow, what a scary episode. I'm surprised your dogs didn't bark or warn you of someone strange in the grounds. Glad your survived it all and wishing you a good recovery.

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    1. Dogs are rubbish lol. I had the two puppies in the house but the big dogs were outside at the front so did not hear the back. Thanks Sami.

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  7. Oh I hope you sleep well. Maybe time to get some guard dogs! So sorry for your terrible experience. Thank God your husband and friend got home. Did he end up stealing your purse?

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    1. He just took the money. Nothing else. I think he had no time to take anything as he had to run out, hearing my husband.

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  8. Lindsay, I am so very sorry to hear about this. I hope you get better soon. You're in my thoughts and prayers.

    Anthony M. (Santo Domingo)

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  9. Oh, my. I'm trying to come up with encouraging, positive words. You're alive, thank God. I'm sorry to hear what happened to you. And, yes, I'm looking forward to your 3rd book.

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  10. So glad to hear you are improving. Isn't this your 2nd episode with violence? And all those dogs were of no use? Of course I hope it is no one you know who is responsible. Speedy recovery!

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    1. Yes second incident in 13 years. Dogs no use at all - but then I did ask them to be quiet as I didn't want them shot. It was no one I knew. Thanks for the good wishes.

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