One week after money changer, Mahendra Deonarine was shot and robbed at the Georgetown Stelling by a lone gunman, the police are yet make an arrest in connection with the matter.
Acting Crime Chief, Hugh Jessemy yesterday told Stabroek News that while no arrest has been made the investigation is still ongoing
He said information revealed that the area where the incident occurred is monitored by several surveillance cameras and investigators are trying to retrieve footage.
Deonarine, called “Buddy,” of Plantain Walk, Klien Pouderoyen, West Bank Demerara (WBD), was shot once to his abdomen around 10.30am last Tuesday just after he exited a speedboat which operates from Vreed-en-Hoop to the Georgetown Ferry Stelling.
This newspaper understands that at the time of the incident, Deonarine was on his way to America Street, where he operates as a money changer. He was approached by the lone gunman, who shot and relieved him of an undisclosed amount of cash before escaping.
He was taken to the Woodlands Hospital where he underwent emergency surgery and remained hospitalised up to yesterday.
In 2009, Deonarine was also a victim of a robbery during which he accidently shot a market vendor who subsequently died in hospital.
Stabroek News was reliably informed that Deonarine, a licensed firearm holder was the person who shot Veronica Atherley on August 29, 2009 during a robbery in which he was the victim.
Atherley, 59, of Stewartville, West Coast Demerara was taken to the Georgetown Hospital after being shot in the hip. At the time the woman had been plying her trade in the busy Stabroek Market area.
This newspaper had reported that on the said day, around 5.30 pm, two men had attempted to rob Deonarine and were fleeing when he opened fire on them, hitting Atherley.
Atherley was initially admitted as a patient in the hospital’s female surgical ward but was subsequently moved to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) after her condition worsened. She succumbed on September 4, 2009 as a result of septic shock caused by the gunshot injury.
The shooter was never held criminally responsible as following an inquest the jury concluded that Atherley’s death was nothing more than an accident.
