(Trinidad Express) A 16-year-old boy is one of the thieves killed by police in the washroom of a jewellery store in Couva yesterday.
Police made contact with the mother of Kevon Simmons hours after he was pronounced dead at the Couva District Health Facility.
The boy lived with his mother at Concerned Citizens Street in California, a senior investigator said.
The second suspect was identified as Curtis James, 23, of Cipero Road, San Fernando.
He lived in Couva with his girlfriend, police said.
The two were fatally shot by police who were responding to a break-in at Tiana’s Jewellery in Couva before daybreak on Wednesday.
Tiana’s Jewellery had been a target for thieves over the last 25 years, even up to as recently as three months ago.
And while the other reports went unsolved, a police team caught up with the two while the robbery was in progress that morning.
The two were shot and killed in the washroom of the store at Southern Main Road.
They had smashed showcases and security equipment, before filling a bag with silver jewellery and watches.
However before they could flee Central Division Task Force and Couva police officers responded and caught them red-handed.
There was an exchange of gunfire and the two were shot multiple times.
They were taken to the hospital where they died of gunshot injuries.
Store owner Anna Parriag said it was unfortunate that the two robbers were killed.
However, she felt happy that police had responded in a timely manner and solved the crime.
While cleaning the blood stained floors and the broken glass in the store, Parriag told the Express:
“For the first time in 25 years I felt a sense of victory. There was another robbery three months ago and nothing came out of that. Unfortunately these people got killed in my business place but I feel a sense of victory that they were caught by the police. What can I say, I am happy,” said Parriag.
She said around 5 a.m. she was contacted by the security company and was told that the alarm in the store had been triggered.
“The security company alerted me and I asked them to call the police. They did, and by the time I reached by the store — in about 20 minutes — the police were already here. They realised that the bandits were on the inside”, she said. “They stole all the silver jewellery and the watches I had. The gold was locked away.” Parriag said the jewellery items that were stolen were valued at about $200,000.
“We recovered the items from the police”, she said.
Police killings for the year now total eight.
