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Two young children held at gunpoint with their grandparents as a crook disguised as a UPS deliveryman ransacked their Bronx home are traumatized by the nightmare — and fear their Christmas has now been canceled, their mother revealed.
Karina Valerio’s 8-year-old son and 5-year-old daughter were at their grandparents’ apartment on Monday when the armed suspect, who was wearing a hat with UPS written on it, and an accomplice stormed in.
The robbers took off with all the “expensive” Christmas presents from under their tree, nearly $10,000 in cash from a safe and piggy bank and every electronic device in the apartment, Valerio said on a GoFundMe page set up after the attack.
“We see this on the news all the time and think it could never happen to you — especially days before Christmas,” Valerio said.
“I’m completely heartbroken, makes me cry every time my daughter says ‘I hope I don’t have a bad Christmas.’”
She added: “We may have lost a lot, but my parents and kids are alive.”
The mom said she’s had to lie to her children by telling them cops have already caught the “bad guys” to help them cope after the terrifying ordeal.
“My kids haven’t slept with nightmares and haven’t been able to eat,” she said, adding that her son “keeps looking over his shoulder.”
“They are all traumatized, no one should have to experience this moment, especially two little babies,” Valerio added.
The UPS hat-wearing suspect showed up at the apartment door around 5.p.m carrying a box, police said. He pulled the gun from the box as soon as Valerio’s 60-year-old mom and 63-year-old dad opened the door.
Valerio said the thieves zip-tied her kids and parents before ransacking the apartment — breaking glass and tearing the bedrooms apart.
The two robbers threatened to hurt the kids if her parents didn’t disclose where the money or valuables were within 10 seconds, Valerio said.
In addition to the Christmas parents, cash and electronics, the robbers also made off Valerio’s parents’ green cards, passports and birth certificates, the mom said.
She said her hardworking immigrant parents have been in the US for 32 years. Her mom is a home health attendant and her father is retired.
Police are still trying to track down the duo.
The suspect with the UPS hat also wore a brown face mask, a brown jacket, a green hooded sweatshirt, black pants and black shoes. The other suspect was last seen wearing a black face mask, a black hooded sweatshirt, blue jeans and black shoes.
Valerio said investigators had found fingerprints in their home and had taken surveillance footage from the building.
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