- after robbing
woman in minibus
A bag-snatching thief was shot dead at
around 10:30 hrs yesterday after posing as a passenger and
robbing a woman who was travelling in a minibus near Covent
Gardens, East Bank Demerara.
Police said that the thief, who is still unidentified, was
fatally wounded while attempting to flee into nearby
canefields with the woman’s bag, which contained $90,000, a
cell phone and some clothing.
He was pronounced dead on arrival at the Diamond Diagnostic
Centre.
The victim was identified as 25-year-old Florie Emmanuel of
Diamond, East Bank Demerara and police said that they
recovered the woman’s handbag and all her valuables.
One eyewitness told Kaieteur News that Emanuel was in a
minibus heading to Georgetown and was chatting on her mobile
phone about the money she had, which was to “pay off some
people.”
Unknown to the woman, the thief was sitting next to her, and
when the bus stopped for someone to disembark, he quickly
snatched Emanuel’s bag, exited the bus and fled.
Kaieteur News was told that some of the passengers gave chase.
As luck would have it, a police patrol was in the area and the
ranks also pursued the robber.
According to police, the robber attempted to flee into nearby
abandoned cane-fields and a rank opened fire when he refused
to halt.
The injured man was rushed to the Diamond Diagnostic
Center,
where he succumbed to his injuries. His body was later
transferred to the Lyken Funeral Home. Up to press time no one
had come forward to identify the man.
Recounting her ordeal, Florie Emmanuel told Kaieteur News that
she heading to the city to pay some bills when the incident
happened. Emmanuel said that the suspect snatched her handbag
and started running. She said public spirited persons started
running behind him and he was eventually shot by pursuing
ranks.
Police retrieved the woman’s handbag with the money and
other valuables intact.
Saturday,
January 07, 2012
