A bandit is dead and his alleged accomplice is in a critical condition at the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPH) after they were run over shortly after robbing a woman of a quantity of cash at La Bonne Intention (LBI), East Coast Demerara yesterday.
Dead is Trelon Munroe, of Tucber Park, New Amsterdam, while his accused partner was identified as Kevin David, of Agricola, an AWOL coast guard rank.
Crime Chief Leslie James told Stabroek News that sometime around 12:30pm, Jasdai Persaud and her husband went to a city bank and withdrew $750,000 before returning home. The money was reportedly to be used for home repairs.
On their arrival at their Cherry Field, LBI home, Persaud’s husband left briefly and it was while the man was away that a black CG motorcycle with two men pulled up in front of the house. The pillion driver, James said, got off the cycle and entered the Persaud’s yard. There, he held Persaud at gunpoint and demanded the recently withdrawn money from her.
The woman acquiesced and the bandit attempted to return to the waiting motorcycle. However, he was confronted by Persaud’s husband, who had returned. The two men became embroiled in a scuffle for the bag of money and the bandit discharged a single round.
Fortunately, Persaud’s husband was not hit but the bandit used the momentary pause to escape the man’s grip. The bandit returned to his pillion seat on the waiting cycle and sped off with his accomplice. However, a nearby relative of Persaud gave chase in a car. According to James, there was a collision between the two vehicles and the two bandits fell off.
According to reports reaching this newspaper, one of the men was pinned under the car, while the other lay nearby on his stomach. Their motorcycle had been flung to the side.
The police were contacted and promptly arrived on the scene. Residents who had gathered after word of the robbery had spread did not attempt to touch either of the injured men. It was only until the police arrived that persons picked the men up and tossed them unceremoniously into the back of the police vehicle, bloodied and covered in red dirt.
From all appearances, both men were alive when they were taken to the hospital by the police.
The residents were unsympathetic to the men’s plight and expressed disgust at persons who committed robberies. Residents further noted that many robbers tend to get away with their crimes.
According to the police, a quantity of the stolen cash along with a .32 revolver and four live rounds with a spent shell were recovered.
At the GPH, relatives and friends of David refused to speak with Stabroek News, while Munroe’s relatives failed to show. Munroe reportedly succumbed to his injuries early yesterday afternoon and a source at the hospital stated that GPH staff had taken long to respond to the man.
Meanwhile, when contacted yesterday, Chief of Staff of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Brigadier Mark Phillips confirmed that David was a coast guard rank who went AWOL (absent without leave) several months ago. According to Phillips, he was contacted last evening with the news that earlier in the day David had been involved in a robbery.
If the man makes a full recovery, he is expected to be brought before the court. “He will be before the court and he will be dismissed forthwith,” Phillips said.
David is currently under guard at the GPH.
