Mother, toddler threatened at gunpoint in Rotterdam home robbery

Police say a terrifying home invasion robbery in Rotterdam left a young mother fearing for her life and the life of her young daughter. The two were tied up and held at gunpoint by two unknown assailants speaking to each other in Papiamento.

It happened Tuesday at about 9:30 a.m. on the Zevenkampse Ring. The 24-year-old woman was leaving with her two-year-old girl when she was pushed back into her home by one of the robbers. He was then assisted by his partner.

"The woman was tied up in her bedroom under threat of a firearm. The perpetrators then searched the entire home and fled with an unknown amount of money," police said.

Once the offenders left, the woman managed to free herself and call authorities. Records show police were dispatched to the neighborhood to investigate a home robbery just before 10:50 a.m. "The victim and the child were not injured, but they were shocked, of course," police stated.

Authorities are asking the public for any information that can help them solve the case, including any video or camera footage that might be available. Only a minimal amount of detail was revealed about the suspects.

"We know that the perpetrators were dressed in dark colors, and communicated with each other in Papiamento," police said.

The language is spoken by many in the Dutch Caribbean, particularly in Bonaire, where 87 percent of the population speaks the language, according to Statistics Netherlands. It is also spoken on Aruba and Curaçao, but is less common in St. Eustatius and Saba.