CLIFTON, N.J. (1010 WINS/WCBS 880) – A 73-year-old New Jersey woman was terrorized, bound and robbed by two armed men who stormed her home and stole the jewelry of her late daughter.
The victim, Ramona Cartagena, was working on an arts and crafts project in the kitchen of her home on Linden Avenue in Clifton around 12 p.m. Sunday when she heard someone enter.
She thought it was her husband or granddaughter returning from church, but it turned out to be two masked men dressed in all black and armed with a handgun. One of them told her in Spanish, “Don’t move.”
The men threw her to the floor and then used duct tape from her art project to tie up her wrists and ankles and to cover her mouth, police said.
The pair ransacked an upstairs bedroom of cash and jewelry, including the jewelry of her late daughter, Maria, who died of breast cancer a year and a half ago. She had planned to pass the jewelry on to her granddaughter.
“It’s really hard for me,” Cartagena said. “Not only did they come to your house, but they take something that you cannot replace.”
The duo took off, leaving Cartagena bound on her living room floor.
She eventually managed to remove the duct tape from her mouth and retrieved her phone from her pants to call for help.
Police said the robbery appears to be an isolated incident, but the investigation is ongoing, with no arrests so far.
Cartagena said she watches detective shows like "CSI" and "Forensic Files," which taught her to look for small details. She said she remembers one of the men had a circle tattoo on his wrist and the other had a blue lightning bolt on his jacket.
Thankfully, she wasn't seriously injured in the robbery, but she said she's been unable to sleep ever since.
“Basically I’m okay, but mentally, emotionally, I’m a mess,” she said.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Clifton Police Detective Bureau at 973-470-5908.
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