A Brazilian miner was shot five times by bandits during an attempted robbery at Aranka, Cuyuni River yesterday morning and is in a serious condition at the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPH).
Jose Leache, 46, of Robb Street was up to last evening awaiting surgery at the medical institution for two gunshot wounds to his abdomen. He also sustained several other shots to his right leg and left hand, which exited.
According to reports, Leache was heading to the Aranka landing along with his wife, Neach Da Silva, and a small boy at around 9 am yesterday when the bandits struck. The four bandits were armed with guns and wore masks.
A business partner of Leache, Elizabeth Hendricks told Stabroek News that the men emerged from the bushes and forced the All Terrain Vehicle (ATV) that Leache was riding to stop.
She said that the men attacked Leache and shot him while Da Silva hid behind the vehicle and the boy ran to the landing which was close-by to alert persons there. Hendricks said that the bandits were unable to take anything from Leache as Da Silva was shouting and persons alerted by the boy came out. The bandits quickly disappeared into the bushes. Leache was taken to the landing and transported from the area by boat.
Hendricks said that it was the man’s normal routine to go to the landing and this was the second time that Leache was attacked for the year. She said that during the first attack in February, the bandits attempted to shoot him but the gun did not fire.
Following yesterday’s incident police at Bartica were alerted and went into the area. At the hospital, last evening, relatives and friends of the wounded man, who was said to be conscious but in need of blood, were anxiously waiting for the man to go into surgery.
