Penal couple murdered in home invasion

Babita Vialva, 40, and Raffeak Vialva, 51, killed at Penal Rock Road, Penal on November 17. -

A PENAL COUPLE was gunned down inside their home during an early morning home invasion on November 17.

An eyewitness who had already woken to prepare for work told Newsday that Raffeak and Babita Vialva were at their home on Penal Rock Road with their 19-year-old daughter when an unknown man pulled into their driveway in a car around 3 am. The witness said the assailant broke down the front door and entered.

"By the time I reach downstairs, I hear the gun gone off and I gone back upstairs."

The witness said there were about three distinct loud explosions. The witness said relatives were alerted and went inside to find Babita dead in the bedroom and Raffeak clinging to life in the corridor. He died while being taken to the hospital.

The couple's daughter was unharmed and was being consoled by friends and relatives outside the home when Newsday visited the scene.

Investigators are working with the theory that the attack was a robbery that went wrong. However, relatives, who did not wish to be identified, said the attacker likely left empty-handed as the house was not ransacked.