Woman Duct Taped in Home Invasion
The Story
A woman was sitting in her kitchen working on some home projects. She was alone in her home of 25 years when she heard the door open. After being bound with duct tape and listening to her home being ransacked, she called the police.
Woam Bound with Duct Tape During Home Invasion
“A terrifying home invasion left a 73-year-old grandmother tied up while two men ransacked her home in Clifton, New Jersey. Ramona Cartagena described in detail what happened inside her home at around noon Sunday. Cartagena was standing at her kitchen island, working on a wreath, when she heard the door open.
“I thought it was my husband, that he came back,” said Cartagena.
It wasn’t her husband. Instead, two men wearing black masks stepped inside. “I just froze,” said Cartagena. One of the men walked over to her while the other stayed by the door. The only thing he said was, ‘Don’t move.’ “He just grabbed me by my hand, he took the tape, my own tape, and he wrapped my hand, he wrapped my feet and he put tape in my mouth.”
Cartagena stayed on the floor while the men destroyed bedrooms in search of valuables. She heard them walk out the front door, then ripped the tape off her mouth and called police, she said. “They took something that is going to be very hard to replace. They took my daughter’s jewelry,” said Cartagena.
“They stole my confidence,” said Cartagena.”
Read the full article from CBS News
What Can We Learn?
The first thing I need to mention is, ALWAYS lock your doors. Always. I know you want to feel safe enough in your home to not lock your doors. However, anything can happen at any time. This woman was attacked in the middle of the day in her home of over two decades, a place where she never had any problems whatsoever. She left her door open while waiting for her husband to come home and the invaders took the opportunity to break in. She had no confidence to fight back. The fear made her freeze. Thankfully she was not physically harmed but the invasion could have been so much worse. With a little preparation she may have been able to change the situation more in her favor.
