Gang forces young child and teen into bathroom as home of well-known restaurateur ransacked!

A gang of masked raiders forced a young child and teenage sibling into the bathroom of their home while the woman who was taking care of them was tied up during a terrifying burglary.

Detectives are investigating if the aggravated burglary was carried out by one of the country’s most prolific burglary gangs.

The violent incident unfolded at around 6.30pm on December 23 in Greystones, Co Wicklow

The target of the crime is a highly respected restaurateur who owns a number of popular eateries in Wicklow and Dublin.

He was not present at the time of the burglary.

However, his female relative, who is aged in her 40s, was at the property and was terrorised by what gardai believe could have been a gang of up to seven men.

It is estimated that around €25,000 in cash was stolen as well as over €60,000 worth of jewellery in the planned raid.

“All the indications are that this was a targeted crime – the gang are suspected of having prior knowledge of their target,” a senior source told Independent.ie.

“The victims in this case have been left extremely traumatised and the gang struck the night before Christmas Eve without any thought for the children in that house and indeed the female injured party who was threatened as well as being tied up,” the source said.

It is understood that the property in Greystones was ransacked by the burglars who were in-and-out of the house in less than 10 minutes.

The woman who was tied up was able to free herself “relatively quickly” after the gang fled the scene and emergency services were notified.