PARENTS fear a couple who kidnap children are stalking their town after a woman in a “terrifying” face mask broke into her home.
Caryl Mai was babysitting at her sister Gwenan’s house on George Street in Llanrwst when she realised an intruder was inside the house.
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The woman bolted empty-handed, but as she ran out, Caryl saw the shadow of a man lurking outside and is worried the couple were planning to abduct a small child.
Gwenan, who has advised neighbours to lock their doors, said the woman prowler was wearing a black hoodie and black face mask when she broke on January 29.
Gwenan’s nine-year-old daughter Faye was so traumatised that she now sleeps with her mother – and even took a kitchen knife to bed with her.
Single mum Gwenan had asked her oldest sister to babysit while she enjoyed a rare night out with another sister.
Caryl and their other sister were watching TV when they heard a sound at the back of the house at 9pm.
She said: “We heard the back door open but we assumed it was just our sisters coming back home.
“But then we heard whispering and murmuring, so we went to investigate.
“A woman in a black hoodie and long, dark hair was in the kitchen.
“She was wearing a medical-style mask. When she saw us, she ran outside.”
‘ABSOLUTELY TERRIFYING’
Caryl, who is a mum herself, dashed to a window and caught a glimpse of a second person – a man – in the back yard.
He was tall and was also dressed in a black hoodie, she said.
She said: “It was frightening to have a stranger walking into the house.
“You don’t know what they could have done.
“I’ve no idea what they wanted but the lights were on and the back door was open, so they must have known someone was in the house.”
Caryl was keeping an eye on Gwenan’s oldest daughter, Casey, 11, and baby-sitting their 22-month-old nephew, Kai.
When Gwenan returned home, she was horrified to hear what had happened, and immediately ordered a CCTV camera.
“It was absolutely terrifying – I never used to lock my doors but since Saturday I’ve been locking myself in.”
Both her children were left frightened by the incident, especially nine-year-old Faye, who has been struggling to sleep.
“My kids were badly affected by it all.
“Since it happened, Faye has been sleeping with me in my bed.
“One night I found she had taken a knife from the kitchen upstairs to bed with her.
“She told me she was frightened and wanted to protect us if they came back.
“I took it from her and tried to reassure her everything would be alright.”
‘THIS IS SCARY’
Caryl, a teaching assistant, has also ordered a security camera and posted a warning on Facebook urging people ‘to make sure your front and back doors are locked’.
One person commented “This is scary – why would a woman in a mask break in while a man stood guard outside?
“Were they after kidnapping little children who would be asleep at that time of night? It makes you shudder.”
A warning has now gone out on social media as North Wales Police hunt the intruders.
North Wales Police said “We were called at just after 9.40pm on January 29 to reports of a break-in at a residential property in Llanrwst.
“Officers attended and made house-to-house enquiries.”
Police are appealing for information by calling 101, quoting reference 22000070495.
