Bandits beat and rob store owners, staff
Terror reigned at Magic Mall La Grange West Demerara yesterday afternoon, when two armed men, posing as customers, swept through the shopping facility beating those who opposed them and gathering booty; they left one woman unconscious and others injured.
Police said last night that they were investigation the armed robbery and had already recovered a bag with some of the booty. However, no one had been arrested up to press time.
The mini-mall, a one-flat shopping facility, on the La Grange Public Road, houses several small businesses, including an internet café, supermarket and snackette. Just after 3 pm yesterday, two men pretending to be customers entered the snackette where they launched an attack.
According to reports, some victims were taken to the West Demerara Regional Hospital where they were treated and sent away. Others were taken to the Diamond Diagnostic Centre (DDC), East Bank Demerara.
Stabroek News understands that after the robbery the two bandits left in a taxi.
Several workers and store owners were gathered at the building’s entrance when this newspaper visited shortly before 6 pm. They appeared to be in shock and distress was clearly etched on their faces. However, they refused to comment.
“We don’t want to talk,” one female among the group said. “The place was slightly ransacked yes but we really don’t want to say anything.”
However, 16-year-old Tamara Thom, one of the robbery victims who was taken to the DDC, told Stabroek News that the two men went into the mall purporting to be customers interested in purchasing DVDs and food from the snackette where she works.
The teenager, who said she was at the snackette with her employer yesterday afternoon, explained that just as she was preparing to sell some DVDs to one of the men, the other one left. The one who remained then pulled out a knife and demanded cash and items.
Thom said that when she looked outside, she noticed the man who had left holding a gun in his hand as he proceeded to a neighbouring store in the mall. The men, she said, were both unmasked.
The police last night identified that neighbouring store as belonging to Shaneeza Hussein.
In a press release last night they said that Hussein was held at gunpoint and relieved of $25,000.
After battering Thom and Sooklall, the police said, the men hailed a taxi and escaped in the direction of Vreed-en-Hoop.
“The police responded quickly and acting on information received scoured the Vreed-en-Hoop seawall area but did not locate the two men,” the release said. “They however recovered a handbag belonging to Amanda Sooklall which contained her personal documents along with 24 wrist watches and 41 cigarette lighters.”
Meanwhile, the shaken Thom said that she didn’t get to see much of anything that was happening to the other store owners since she had “the one with the knife” in their store to contend with.
“I get very afraid,” she said. “He lock up de door with me an me boss and we couldn’t get fuh scream or nothing. He pull out a knife and start threatening fuh kill we if we ain’t give he wha he want.”
The salesgirl said the bandit took away her cell phone and $2,000 and then picked up a piece of wood and proceeded to beat her in her head with it.
She said that after hitting her in her head, the bandit then turned to Amanda Sooklall, her boss, and dealt her several blows to her head and other body parts as well. Thom said she fainted.
“He beat meh in meh head and swell it up,” the teenager said, “but meh boss geh more bad injuries; she start bleeding an suh.”
Thom related to this newspaper that the entire ordeal that they endured lasted for some 15 minutes. She could not ascertain the financial value of the snackette’s loss, nor was she able to say exactly what the bandit had taken from the business place.
“I just thank God that I alive an I hope me boss get better soon,” the salesgirl said. While Thom was treated at the DDC and sent away, Sooklall, who suffered the brunt of the attack was admitted a patient at the medical institution and was in an unconscious state at the time this newspaper visited the institution.
One eyewitness who requested anonymity said that after the robbery, he saw the two bandits making good their escape in a waiting car. He added also that he was disappointed that the police only arrived on the scene until about 10 to 15 minutes after the incident.
“I real disappointed with de police,” the witness said, “cause is nah from far dey gat to come. La Grange Police Station ain’t deh far from Magic Mall where dis thing happen, an dey tek a whole 10 to 15 minutes before coming.”
….i wonder what CCTV would have done to help the police in this case…..hmppppp
Hmmmmmmm. It costs too much to install cameras. LOL
Time to promote Rohee haw hee haw he is doing a fantastic job.
This is a great reason why Lunchbox should not resign and this is another reason why the lazy PPP should be dragging their feet to implement the security improvements being provided by the British.
Again the PPP has no vested interest in arresting the crime situation in Guyana. It is a good way to keep the people on their feet and distracted from their mismanagement of the country.
Brandon,where in the world are you getting those names from buddy…i never laugh so much yet.
my sympathy for the hard working guyaneses robbed by lazy people
Can some one tell me how “TWO” arm men can lock down a mall
I mall usually have loads of shops and people, and security all over the place.
I would start the investigate to security staff first
What you need to understand, in Guyana, any building that has a few shops or store in it is called a mall.
de mall nah big…you house or apartment musse probably bigger than it.
that place has no security and to call it a mall is a stretch
it’s a modest little building with a couple shops inside
You’ve gotta love Guyanese Advertising…they use terms like, Mall, Complex, CEO, International, Enterprise, Executive…
When you’re standing in front of the real ting…heheehe…it a whole other story.
Ever seen one those “executive homes” they have for sale in Guyana, going for a gazillion dollars??? heeheee…
2 flush toilets, some cheap tiles and walls made of powdery concrete blocks equals “executive”
Gone are the days when the major crimes were committed in the city only , just like the polictical voilence , these days no one is speared crime is spreading like cancer everywhere , that is one of the reasons why people are packing their entire family bay and leaving no security , no peace of mind , no encouragement to stay on then most of us go to another mans land help to build it and stay there in the mean time our is standing still because most of its people have left it shores the few that stays behind are struggleing to survive with still no help or encouragement , how sad.
I’m tired of reading these stories, the govt need to get with the program and implement the security measures to safeguard the nation, i hope these bandits are caught and put away for long time.
SN, they were unmasked, why not publish their ethnicity, why not ask their ethnicity.
how can the public help if the info is not reported or are you there to encourage the crimes committed so you can have a field day with the number of hits or the moderator or editor condone such crimes.
don’t edit my blog let the others judge for themselves your bias reporting.
Freespeech, I am the others to whom you speak and I judge your comment and attitude to be biased and nationally divisive.
True,hardly any description is given of these crooks.What is so hard,”the suspect is 4ft 4in and alien looking and wearing pajamas”,let the ppl know.
Freespeech, like you have an idea as to whom were involved?
Smitty…most people know whom most of the bandits are but that is not important…whats more important is—-most police know most of whom these bandits are..i does come there twice a year and know it…suh you live deh and dont tell me u dont know it….dis is wat de impotent govt should be fixingfuss instead of giving dem money and boats and vehicles…is like telling cat to keep an eye on rat…
Freespeech I think your point is quite right, the public might be of some help if they are able to give the authorities some information in confidence on perpetrators of crimes. There is “Crime Stoppers” in some countries which is netting success, therefore it will be helpful if the description of these persons can be made public. Unfortunately the blogger Biswattie Ramsawak is adding a racial tone to your blog, there is nothing ‘nationally divisive’ about identifying a criminal. A criminal is a criminal regardless of race, there in no specific race associated with crime in Guyana contrary to old beliefs.
i think it was elements of the roger khan `phantom’gang freespeech,their boss is in prison so what remains of the gang is creating havoc on guyanese buisnesses, see this is what your govt has done to guyanese by associating itself with the most dangerous man guyana ever produced.
yes BR, i know where freespeech is comming from.
What’s their ethnicity, what’s their ethnicity, spread the word who is doing this. These no good so and so , see what I mean. We know the victims names now tell us the perpetrators’ ethnicity. This is so unbelievably stupid and real sick.
freespeech crimes are committed by all ethnicities so, what’s your point ?
evileyes i am not one of the most people who know whom most of the bandits are. thats shear conjecture what you are saying because from my experiences, i know its hard to tell who are really committing the crimes. a particular segment of the population have always stigmatized while the real culprits have been getting away with murder for years. you should give thought to what i said.
I don’t think it’s SN’s responsibility to assist in capturing suspected criminals. If the police want to put out a description of the suspects they could. I am sure if SN knew the names of the bandits they would publish it like they published the names of the victims. A question of whether the bandist were black or white seems to me more appropriate for the police to ask during their investigation. I am guessing that even if SN knows the ethnicity of the suspects, they probably don’t want to interfere with the investigation. Sometimes the police don’t want to alert the suspects that they might have certain information that could help capture them. That’s just my take on the whole thing but what do I know. I know some people here want to go out looking for the suspects themselves maybe that’s why they want to know their ethnicity while others probably only want it used to inflame hate against people of whatever ethnicity the suspects might happen to be. Who knows what the motives of people are these days.
the can of worms is open, no one wants to hear the truth, and i tell it like it is.
the point is not race, it’s to alert the public.
however it’s you opinion which way you want to, ????????????.
Ever herd of “America’s Most Wanted” this TV show does tell all the details, religion, race, scars, tattoos, weight, height, ect,,,,,
Local American news sources always provide details including ethnicity of perpetrators .
Freespeech, I agree, Guyanese media backwards at times just like the police.
so cack eye am I hearing this right are you calling the govt out on their laziness to fix the crime situation?
Woah woah woah did you get approval from freedumb house to do this?
cackeye kaka Samaroo yes you read it right…i call it the way i see it unlike you and your staleness like a recuring decimal where you put your cackeye in a socket and hide from facts….
What protection will the victims get for giving discriptions of the bandits? The people are scared of retalliation.
damn cack eye I may have to send you a prize after all.
are you using eye drops or did you get lasik?
Cowards,they are nothing but cowards,I hope that the business people mobilise themselves and be ready for such attacks in the future,it is time people think of ways of defending themselves,in the event of an attack,the police cannot be depended on,they are not far away,but the bandits know that they are safe from them(police).As a business person in Guyana,i used to always have a plan,I do not know if it would have worked,but it is good to prepare yourself,you don’t need a gun,but if people come together instead of fighting amongst themselves,they can beat these parasites somehow!!
Seems the police gon fuh keep the guns well oiled cause these anti-social elements robbing poor working people so stupid they don’t obey police instructions when eventually get caught up with. They gon get put down. Big problem is how to track ddown duh relatives or freiinds who may have harboured them so to get them pay for (expensive taxpayers bought) police bullets…
Reddy how come your lazy government cannot do their job to stop crime and protect the base in Guyana?
Lazy Lazy Lazy and incompetent.
Reddy, for once your comment is not slanted so badly that it has tumbled into that bias sesspool of politics.
Samaroo, like you real happy when you hear these crime news. Yuh got three posts already pon the page. Lemme write one more fuh you to copy down : ” Hallelejuah ! Praise the lord, kill more people and so we can show how lazy the government is and can’t control crime. Disorder, mayhem, more crime, I say ! Happy,
I is so happy today , hallejuha! Praise the lord !!!!!!”
You are saying I am happy because I am calling out your lazy government every time someone gets hurt in Guyana?
I do it to show what a failure they are. They claim to be defenders of the people and they fighting for the people which people they are fighting for? who?
They cannot even pay the sugar workers their backpay. Crime killing the poor people who are trying to make a living and lunchbox busy trying to intimidate the british who refuse to give him the money without proper governance.
Aren’t you ashamed of this disgraceful bunch in government reddy? when are you people going to get some shame and character? how come rohee or no one has resigned or taken responsibility for their failure to stem the escalating crime situation in Guyana?
Another one is the 700 million your government choose to spend on the propaganda apparatus while people are dying daily, shame shame shame reddy shame on your Phee Pheed phoo.
Here we go again. Crime and more crime. Who to blame for this one. How come I aint hear that is PNC responsible for this on. Because i know since deh get a headache dem does holla the PNC responsible for it. Dem blame fineman for everything under the sun, now what he gone & still more vicious youths tek he place. For all the social ills in society, government to be blamed for it. Race baiting politics dead. 2011 we gonna fix that.
Do you think that? Guyana is full of race hate, so corruption will continue. Some guyanes are too blind.
Welcome to Dodge City!! The Sheriff (BJ) is impotent when it comes to stemming the tide of lawlessness!!!