A brave couple confronted armed robber's who threatened them before stealing their car's catalytic converter.
Marta Fernandez-Anean and her fiance Amjad Reza Mehdi heard drilling noises outside their home in Henbury, Bristol, on Monday night - which they initially thought was road works.
The couple were then terrifyingly confronted with three masked men holding machinery, including a large drill and car jack.
Marta said one of the men told her that he was sent out because they had unpaid bills, reports Bristol Live.
She said: "We then started thinking that this is not normal, this is not okay - they have made a mistake."
But Marta and Amjad quickly realised it was all a ploy and the man was really trying to ‘distract’ from the incident taking place.
She said after verbal exchanges the man aggressively ‘charged’ at her causing her to scream as she ran into their home and grabbed her mobile phone to start filming.
But the threat of being filmed did nothing to deter the thieves. Instead, the men stood in close proximity while aiming their tools at the couple who kept asking them to leave.
Amjad Reza Mehdi, 44, said the men charged at them multiple times even after the couple had informed them that the police were on their way.
At that point he said he had no choice but to try and defend his family after one of the men lunged at him with a drill.
Mr Mehdi said they were unaware that theft of a catalytic converter was a trend, until it happened to them.
“I didn't know if they were trying to steal the car or just vandalising it,” he added.
While the horrific incident was happening, Miss Fernandez-Anean said her three year-old son was asleep inside.
She said: “All I kept thinking was what if our son comes downstairs and sees his parents dead on the ground.”
The balloon artist said she was afraid if they retaliated, her son would find them deceased and become ‘traumatized’.
The pair moved to the area five years ago and have no relatives nearby for additional support.
She said: “I was so worried for my son, I had images of those people attacking us and my son waking up to no one.”
The incident has left the couple feeling ‘vulnerable’ and ‘unprotected’ as they felt unable to do anything out of fear of the long term ‘consequences’.
“When you looked at their faces, they couldn’t care less about what they are doing because they know they're going to get away,” she added.
Mr Mehdi said: "It was a well rehearsed operation and it happened very fast."
The ordeal has impacted the family gravely from the daily emotional struggle of reliving the events over and over again, to the potential loss of their no-claims bonus.
Mr Mehdi said their insurance company said the costs of replacing the catalytic converter is over £1,500.
The musician said even though they are covered, it affects their car insurance policy.
"There are repercussions and you always end up paying in the end, " he added.
After alerting Avon and Somerset Police, they were told that theft of catalytic converters has become a pattern.
This was also confirmed to them by their insurance company and a nearby mechanic who explained that the model of their car, an older Hybrid Toyota Prius along with Honda Jazz and Honda Civic vehicles, are often appealing to thieves because they can be accessed more easily.
A spokesperson from Avon and Somerset police said the unknown male offenders took off in a blue vehicle in the Henbury area.
They ask that anyone with information get in touch by calling 101, quoting crime reference number 5221089920.
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