Two young men were taken into police custody after receiving a sound thrashing by South Ruimveldt residents when they attempted to rob a shopkeeper in the area.
The youths, both 16-years-old were taken to the hospital for treatment around midday yesterday with lacerations about the body, evidence of the beating they received.
Stabroek News visited the shopkeeper at Spurwing Drive, South Ruimveldt. The woman who did not want her name mentioned said that she was walking out of her shop when she saw one of the teens approaching her in the yard. The other was standing on the lawn. She said that the teen in the yard had to jump over the fence since her gate is always locked. The shopkeeper said that she panicked immediately and started hollering for `thief!’, whereupon neighbours came out of their homes. By this time the teen in the yard had made his way over the fence leaving one of his slippers behind. They both ran down the road and residents gave chase. They were caught and given a sound thrashing. The police were then called in and the teenagers were taken to the hospital.
Stabroek News caught up with them at the hospital. One said that he was going to the shop to find out the price for a fish spray, “when the woman saw me at the side of her fence and holler fuh thief.” He said that the other youth was accompanying him at the time.
The youth said that they saw a resident coming out with a cutlass and this prompted them to run.
Stabroek News was told however that the teens have been involved in similar incidents before and when they were taken to the hospital another man pointed to one of them and said “you is a thief I know you.”
Meanwhile the shopkeeper related that two nights ago, bandits attempted to rob another shopkeeper who also lives on Spurwing drive.
The woman said that everything was packed up in the man’s shop but he woke up and raised an alarm which scared the robbers off.
