You might recognize her as the contestant who danced to the top of the Miss Y contest a couple years back or as a mainstay in the carnival road march or you might know Gwen Banhart for her community work at the Rockview Hospital. And while Aunt Gwen, as she is known affectionately, is normally the one doing the helping, today the 76 is asking for your help in finding some grinches who she says stole her Christmas.
Keith Swift Reporting,
These broken Christmas lights are the trail left behind by the grinches who stole Aunt Gwen's Christmas.
Aunt Gwen,
"I don't know who is doing it and why but I fix up my mango tree because I wanted it to look nice and I don't know if I'll be here next year to do it. So I try to do my best, I did my best to fix it up pretty and my coconut tree and everything and somebody came and take off all the lights from the tree, take off all.."
The well-liked 76-year-old community activist who lives on Sarstoon Street says the constant trespassing and vandalism has thrown a wrench in her holiday celebrations. She had few reasons to be joyful this Christmas because not once and not twice but three times thieves raided her yard of decorations and they did that despite her high fence outfitted with barbed wire and a grill door.
Aunt Gwen,
"And you could know the nervousness and the pain that an old 76 year old women who is trying to do for herself and others."
Keith Swift,
Why do you think they are doing this?
Aunt Gwen,
"I think...provocation and don't want work, just want to get things easily. Its hard for people like me because I am older and I am not young anymore."
Keith Swift,
The people who are doing this, do you think they are from your neighborhood?
Aunt Gwen,
"Definitely. Definitely right and left and the people who do see they are afraid to talk or they don't want to say nothing because that's not their business."
Keith Swift,
So when is this being done? While you are asleep or when you not home?
Aunt Gwen,
"When I am in my bed and in my house and sometimes I peep through and it never happens when I am peeping. It only happens when I am in my bed and I don't know what to do."
Keith Swift,
You're saying they cross over the fence even though its barbed wire?
Aunt Gwen,
"Yes what they do is they put a long board, that's what the police tell me, and then they crawl on it and then someone is holding it so it is more than one of them."
And to whoever it is, Aunt Gwen today made a simple request.
Aunt Gwen,
"From the bottom of my heart I would ask them to just leave me alone."
Banhart has reported the vandals to police who are investigating.
