A robber drowned on Saturday morning while trying to evade residents of La Bonne Intention (LBI), who were chasing after him following attacks on residents.
The dead man has been identified as Shamar Charles, known as ‘Tanny,’ 22, of Plaintain Walk, Triumph Village, East Coast Demerara, and Agricola, East Bank Demerara.
A report from the police stated that at around 10.35 am yesterday at La Bonne Intention (LBI), Charles and two others, while being armed with a hand gun, robbed three women in a home invasion.
One of their victims, police said, raised an alarm and residents responded. As a result, the three suspects tried to escape towards a car believed to have been waiting for them.
However, the suspects in their bid to escape tried to swim across a canal that separates LBI and Chateau Margot.
Two of the suspects made good their escape, police reported, while Charles went under the water.
A search was conducted by public-spirited citizens and his body was eventually recovered in an unconscious state.
The body was examined and no marks of violence were seen on the most exposed parts. The body was escorted by ranks of the Beterverwagting Police Station to the CC Nicholson Hospital, where it was pronounced dead on arrival.
A search was conducted on his person and a red bandana, two gold rings, $980 and a UG student ID card and a cellular phone were found in his possession, police said.
According to the police report, the three robbery victims live together at LBI.
The first victim, a 56-year-old woman, was sitting in the lower flat of the building at her dining table, when one of the suspects entered from an opened door. The suspect approached her and demanded cash and jewellery. The two other suspects, one of whom was armed with a handgun, followed behind and assaulted the woman, police said.
In response to their demands, she handed over two gold rings, valued $220,000, $20,000 in cash and a Samsung S7 smartphone, valued $60,000.
The police said that as the woman complied with the demands, she started to scream, which resulted in the other two women, who were in the upper flat, going to her. They were then confronted by the gunman. The bandit took the second victim to the upper flat and demanded more valuables. There the woman handed over her Samsung S10 Plus cellphone, valued $200,000.
The third victim, police said was relieved of her gold chain but she managed to run out the house and raised an alarm.
The two gold rings and the UG Student ID card were identified by the victims as their property, police said.
The police said the three suspects ran out of the house and exited the yard by jumping the fence and running west on foot while a burgundy car, which is suspected to have been waiting on the men, drove off west on the street.
Public-spirited citizens gave chase along with a responding mobile patrol and the suspects entered the canal that separates LBI and Chateau Margot.
