Twenty-five-year-old Shaquiel Mentore has been identified as the bandit who was injured on Tuesday afternoon after he and another allegedly robbed a woman of her handbag at Campbellville, triggering a frenetic chase by public-spirited citizens.
Mentore, a labourer of Back Circle, East Ruimveldt was shot in his legs during the incident which took place around 3.30 pm. Up to last evening, he remained a patient at the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPH) under police guard.
His accomplice, Randy Bowen, 22, of 184 Duncan Street, Campbellville was shot dead
The two men robbed a woman of her handbag and attempted to escape. The woman raised an alarm and public-spirited persons chased after the bandits. During the chase, the bandits reportedly opened fired and a licensed firearm holder returned fire and Bowen was fatally wounded. Mentore was injured.
Contacted for an update yesterday, Commander of Region 4(A) Edgar Thomas told Stabroek News that the police yesterday re-visited the scene.
He said they found a firearm which is believed to be the one used by one of the suspects during the shooting.
Thomas said that as the investigation continues, the police are still trying to determine who opened fire on the bandits.
“Who fired the fatal shot, at this time we don’t know. We are still investigating the matter…we don’t know where that shot came from that wounded that suspect, the fatal shot, we don’t know,” Thomas had previously told Stabroek News.
Up to last evening the police had not issued a statement on the incident.
Residents had recalled hearing gunshots “ringing out”.
Andrew Bowen, the dead man father, who works as a vendor at Stabroek Market told reporters at the scene that he last saw his son, Bowen, around 3 pm Tuesday.
“…He ask me for a thousand ($1,000). I give him and he left and went,” he had said.
About an hour after, he said he received a call informing him that his son had been shot.
When Stabroek News contacted Mentore’s relatives yesterday, they refused to comment.
Chase
Meanwhile, an eyewitness, who wished not to be named, yesterday explained to Stabroek News that the incident unfolded on Duncan Street, Campbellville. He said the bandits were cornered on William Street.
The man said he was in a vehicle which was being driven by his colleague when he noticed the strange movement of the men. “When we were approaching Bel Air-Bel Air Avenue I see this boy (Mentore) run across the road,” the man said.
He noted that he immediately told his colleague to slow down since he observed that something had just happened. “The way how I see they run across the road, I observe like they do something,” the man said.
He added that after they slowed down, they saw a woman lying on the road. It was her bag that was snatched.
“At the same time I look to me left when I see the same guy (Mentore) who I see run across the road and I turn to him and I tell him ‘aye drop the woman bag’ and he refuse fah drop the bag,” the man explained.
“In the same motion I turn to me left and I see a next guy (Bowen) deh though a corner,” he added.
At this point, the eyewitness said the bandits started to run. “…I holler on he and I seh ‘aye left the woman bag. Drop the woman bag and he refuse fah drop the bag’” he said.
The man said that he and his colleague then decided to chase after the two bandits. “…..They run from south to north. It was a dam,” he recalled.
He further noted that at that point, it was only he and his colleague chasing after the bandits. Eventually, he said, other persons were alerted and they joined in the chase. The eyewitness said that they lost track of the men who ran through alleyways and yards in an effort to escape. “We lose track ah them fah like about a five, ten minutes,” he said.
“When we go through Stone Avenue, we end up reach a next bike man. Like he notice tuh,” the man added.
He said the motorcyclist joined in the chase. “We turn to he and we ask he if is the same person he look fah and he seh yes. I seh well hear wah happen, I seh well they can’t deh no way far. They got to deh somewhere round this area,” the man explained.
He said after they were unable to locate the bandits, they decided to go to another section of Campbellville.
There, he said they saw a few school children. “So I ask them if they see two boys run through hay just now. Them seh yes one ah them just jump the fence (which leads to John Street),” the man said.
It was at this point, he added that they learnt that the bandits were hiding in a “busy” yard. “They try fah escape but dah is when they end up in the bush so then is when everybody now start cordon them off and them couldn’t escape fah go no way,” he said.
He further explained that he was in a yard next to the one where they were hiding. “….Remember now they deh in the bush….. So they could actually see who deh round. Every time they try fah jump the fence and like when they jump up they seeing somebody, they went right back in,” the man related.
He said whilst there, he heard about four gunshots but doesn’t know who fired from the crowd. “I couldn’t say if them (bandits) fire shot first or what is,” the man said.
“After the gunshot then is when people start go because remember now you ain’t seeing no movements no more….Everything happen in the bush behind the fence so I couldn’t say who get shot first,” he added.
Records
Both Bowen and Mentore are known to the police and were recently released from prison.
Stabroek News’ records revealed that Randy Bowen was charged twice in recent years.
In March 2018, he and another man were charged and remanded to prison for two attacks in which the victims were robbed of their phones. A few months later, he was again charged with attempting to rob a uniformed police officer.
Meanwhile, in January last year, Mentore was sentenced to 15 months imprisonment after he admitted to snatching a cellphone.
He had told the court that he needed money to purchase a bicycle.
