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.”
