GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. –A family that lives at Brookside Village in Kentwood experienced a scare Tuesday night they’re still in shock over.
Two men came to their door, held a gun to a seven-year-old’s head, pistol-whipped the mother, and demanded cash.
The father, who didn’t want to be identified, said he was at work. His wife and kids were in their home at Brookside Village.
Two men came to the door around 10 p.m. Thinking it was her father at the door, the family seven-year-old daughter answered the door.
“When she opened the door, there’s two guys that came in with guns,” the father said. “They put the gun on my daughters head.”
His wife panicked. He said the men pistol-whipped her and threatened to shoot the couple’s toddler. They demanded she give them what they came for, which was cash.
She begged them not to harm the children and told them to take the money. The robbers got $4,650 in cash, said the father.
According to his translator, Mahmod Abughoush, the family is not alone. He said throughtout the area several other Iraqi families have been victimized. That includes robberies and attempted robberies at Camelot Wood Apartments in southeast Grand Rapids.
“We’re assuming that it’s one person that knows them very well. knows us very well, knows me very well,” Abughoush said.
“It’s kind of sad and scary at the same time,” he said.
Abughoush explained that these are hard working people trying to live a peaceful life.
“All these guys who are targeted are refugees,” Abughoush said. “They came two, three years ago, working, trying to have
a better life in America.”
“They think it’s safe, but it seems like it’s as worse as it is in Iraq right now.”
The man believes the situation would have turned out much worse had he not had what the thieves came for.
“Thank God I had some money,” he said.
The Kentwood Police Department said it took a police report. The family said authorities have been to their home and they’re working on the case.
