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Attacked With A Blowtorch: Housekeeper Attacked By Couple After They Accuse Her Of Stealing

By Effie Orfanides
Published on: 05:57 PST, Feb 27, 2015

A housekeeper was attacked with a blowtorch by her employers after they claimed that she stole from them.

According to the New York Daily News, Daisy Machuca feared for her life as a Queens couple allegedly kidnapped her and then tortured her for eight hours, demanding that she return the money and jewelry that they say she took from them.

“I thought they would kill me. When they put the fire on the leg and punched, I had a lot of pain,” said Machuca. “She told me, ‘Give me my money! I told her, ‘I don’t have the money. I don’t have the chain.’ I said, ‘I don’t have the money, but I have money at the apartment.'”

Aside from being attacked with a blowtorch, Machuca alleges that Ambar and Devanand Lachman did other things to threaten her, including holding a knife to her throat. According to Mail Online, the 54-year-old housekeeper suffered serious burns and bruises from the abuse. Devanand and another male accomplice were the primary abusers. Ambar — who is pregnant — was reportedly present but didn’t get too physically involved. Even still, both Mr. and Mrs. Lachman have been charged with felony assault, felony kidnapping, and unlawful imprisonment after the incident. The male accomplice has not been found by police, but he is being “hunted.”

Ambar Lachman was released from jail on bail. Her husband still remains behind bars.

“They kept punching, one guy this side, the other guy the other side.”

When Machuca was attacked with a blowtorch, she suffered severe burns on her legs. She and her roommate, Oscar Ramirez, both sought medical treatment following the attack. They are both expected to be okay.

Stories of people being abused and/or tortured by way of blowtorch have made headlines in the past, believe it or not. In fact, a story about a teenager attacked by a homemade blowtorch while waiting for a bus made headlines back in November. As previously reported by the Inquisitr, the 15-year-old British Army Cadet only suffered minor injuries in that attack. As for who was responsible for the attack, police were unsure at the time.

“The blowtorch assailant was described as black or Asian (he was wearing a hood), and the Cadet also reported that he was staggering, indicating that he may have been intoxicated. Because of that, police are considering other possibilities besides terrorism or political statement.”

[Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons]

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