Police are investigating an incident where an eight-year-old girl is accused of breaking into her neighbour’s house on the West Coast Berbice last Sunday and carting off about $600,000 in cash and jewellery.

The child’s mother and brother who were taken into custody at the Fort Wellington Police Station were placed on $20,000 station bail each after the 72-hour incarceration period was up. The child was also placed in protective custody while three other siblings and a woman who were also arrested were released on their own recognizance.

The owner of the house told Stabroek News that he and his wife left to visit relatives around 1.30 pm after securing the house.

They returned home around 9.45 pm and did not suspect anything was amiss because there was no sign of any break in nor was any area ransacked.

It was only when he pulled open a drawer to put away the jewellery he had worn to go out that he discovered all of his wife’s gold jewellery worth $300,000 missing.

He asked her if she had removed it and after she said no, he decided to check to see if anything else was missing from the house. He then discovered that $298,000 that was in separate place was also gone.

He contacted the police and within 10 minutes the patrol arrived at his house. The officers asked him if he suspected anyone and he said no.

The police took brief statements and told the man he should inform them if he came up with a suspect.

The following day a man in the neighbourhood was arrested and subsequently released.

The police had revisited the scene and while conducting investigations the child became the “prime suspect” and was questioned.

She then demonstrated to police all the movements she made while committing the offence and said that an older brother had accompanied her.

The child even told police where the articles were hidden but when the officer checked they had already been removed.

The home owner told this newspaper that the child who visited the house frequently was familiar with “every corner.” He related that she knew exactly where his house key was kept and where he stashed his money and jewellery.