The Linden business community received another scare yesterday when a second prominent businessman was robbed by a lone gunman, who made off with an undisclosed sum of cash and jewellery.
The incident at the A&R Cosmetics and General Store on Dageraad Avenue, Mackenzie, Linden, occurred shortly before 5pm yesterday. There were no customers in the store at the time.
According to an employee, the man walked into the store wearing a complete black outfit, including a cap. He was brandishing a gun and demanded cash. The employee said that the gunman first held on to a male staffer who was in the entrance of the store and relieved him of a gold chain that he was wearing at the time. “I realised he had a gun and when he said go down I just went down and even bend my head cause I didn’t want see what was going to happen,” said the worker.
The gunman then held on to one of the store’s proprietors, known as ‘Angie,’ relieved her of two gold bands and then grabbed the day’s takings before making good his escape. Several eyewitnesses recalled chasing the man but they were afraid of getting too close since he was armed. Earlier in the week, businessman Albert Joseph, called ‘Bolo,’ was shot during a similar robbery. He succumbed to his injuries yesterday.
The owner of Singh’s Cash and Carry General Store Indar Singh reportedly held on to the gunman but he quickly freed himself and continued to flee. Singh operates a business obliquely opposite A&R. The cosmetics store shares the same building with Dink’s Auto Spares and the S&J Cambio. Owner of the building and proprietor of the S&J Cambio Ivor Leacock said that he felt that the bandit gauged him before making his move. “He had to be looking at me because I was sitting outside and as soon as I went inside that is when he made the move,” said Leacock.
Leacock added that he was alerted to what was happening after he overheard a goldsmith across the road shouting, “Wah happening deh? Wha happening deh?” At that point, the businessman called for his gun and ran out. “When I come out I see he putting deh gun in he crutch and then he run down deh street but them man tek so long to pass my strap,” Leacock added.
Another witness recounted that a woman was about to enter the store as the bandit was pulling out the gun and she decided to run away. “Like she was so confused all she pants was dropping and she keep running. Like she was so shock she couldn’t even holla,” said the eyewitness.
About ten minutes prior to the robbery, an elderly man said that he was in a small shop a short distance off and had noticed a man acting strange in a nearby short cut. He recalled keeping a close watch on the suspicious individual but lost contact with him after looking away for a few seconds. “He had on all-over-black and when he realise I looking at he, he turn he face. All I remember he raising he hand and stretching and yawning and in a split second I look away he disappear,” the man explained.
Several hours of desperate search for the bandit was mounted by local police, who were supported by armed businessmen and members of the community policing group.
The Bandit was seen jumping the fence of the PNC office on Co-op Crescent, Mackenzie, Linden.
The area was thoroughly search but they came out empty handed. According to curious by-standers the business circle of Co-op Crescent and Republic Avenue should have been cordoned off. “Dah man stop and talk to one a dem bannas through the drug hole and they cover he down,” said a witness. Others corroborated his account and they expressed the view that the man was hiding in the derelict PNC building, the Ice Rock night club, which has been out of operations for some time, or the Barrow’s General Store, which is currently under construction. Others opined that the gunman was being hidden by accomplices who operate shanty stalls in the area.
