In recent months, two houses on the same street have been emptied despite the fact that there is a guard in the neighborhood.
The inhabitants of La Atarazana chain their cars to the enclosures to prevent them from being stolen. Carlos C., who had his house emptied days ago, got a big chain and insured his vehicle because he says they can take it too.
The man said that days ago he left with his family on a trip and that when he returned very early on Monday – because the children had virtual classes – they got an unpleasant surprise. The doors had been opened for them and their two-story house located in block C1 was emptied.
They took televisions, computers, watches, jewelry, clothing and even the camera system that the house had, said the injured party.
“Everything happened on Sunday when a heavy downpour fell, the neighbors did not hear anything, but here is a guard who seems to be not taking care of anything but watching us,” said the man while inspecting how the bars were being repaired and a metal fence was installed in the ceiling to prevent them from getting in later by lying down.
Carlos C. lives in a narrow alley in La Atarazana. Just five meters from his house is the home of David C., who six months ago when he got home from work also discovered that his house had been emptied.
His wife left at 17:00 with the children. When David arrived at 8:30 p.m. he already found the doors open. As in Carlos C.’s house, televisions, computers, clothes and jewelry were taken from him.
“Nobody saw anything, not even the guard. It seems that they were watching and acted when the house was left alone, “said the injured party.
But in that sector of the north of Guayaquil they are not only concerned about car or home theft. In September, a thief brutally attacked a woman to steal her belongings. The assault took place in broad daylight and in the middle of an alley near the houses of David and Carlos. The video was shared and alerted the neighbors who created more chats with the Police.
The residents of La Atarazana said that a couple of months ago a subject took a motorcycle from the exterior of a villa on the D-5 block. The recording was shared among the neighborhood.
In addition, they add that a food outlet located at the intersection of avenues Nicasio Safadi and Carlos Luis Plaza Dañín, in the same citadel, was also the subject of a violent robbery months ago and that a customer was brutally assaulted.
After these cases, the Police installed community alarms that are supposedly attended by the police checkpoint that is near the main park.
Similarly, residents hope that some parks can be closed at night to prevent them from becoming spaces for drug use or couples having sex. These sites have also been taken over by the so-called ‘chamberos’, denounced the residents.
Another sector that keeps the residents of La Atarazana on alert are the overpasses located on Av. Pedro Menendez Gilbert. They indicated that in September several foreign citizens who had taken over those sites were evicted.
There they consume drugs, intimidate passersby, put the minors who live with them at risk. Among them, subjects who commit misdeeds in the M and L blocks are also mixed, denounce the neighbors who are very active in the community chat administered by the Community Police Unit of La Atarazana. (I)
Mario Twitchell is an accomplished author and journalist, known for his insightful and thought-provoking writing on a wide range of topics including general and opinion. He currently works as a writer at 247 news agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the industry.
