Suspected carjacker escapes from police station

- after taxi service operator foils attack

Swift action by the owner of a taxi service at Zeelugt, East Bank Essequibo, helped to foil a carjacking on Thursday night and led to the arrest of a few suspects, one of whom subsequently escaped from the Leonora Police Station.

The owner of the service, who did not wish to be named, said he decided to follow a car that was hired by a man who had visited the base.

According to the owner, who was also a victim of a carjacking a few weeks ago, he followed after the driver turned into a street at Tuschen, where he found four men around the car. As he got closer, the light apparently scared them and they started to run.

As the owner was giving chase, he managed to find members of the neighbourhood police, who were on patrol and informed them. They subsequently met the officers from the Leonora Police Station, who were also on patrol. He informed them that two of the suspects were in a bus and the police intercepted the bus and arrested the men at Zeeburg, West Coast Demerara.

Stabroek News was told that the men confessed that they were about to rob the driver of the car and also gave information on six accomplices who were involved in previous carjackings; they were arrested at their homes at Den Amstel.

The men were taken to the Leonora Police Station, but one of them later had his handcuffs removed and escaped.

The owner recalled that he was giving statement to a police when they heard a loud commotion outside. Upon checking, they realised that the man was gone.