(Trinidad Guardian) It was described as an invasion after bandits stormed four businesses at Boundary Road, San Juan, yesterday.
However, the robbery was thwarted by officers of the North Eastern Division after one of the bandits was shot dead.
The dead man has been identified as 25-year-old Denille Robinson, of D’Abadie.
Guardian Media was told that officers of the North Eastern Division Task Force were called to the Reliable Appliances Parts and Services store on Boundary Road at around 12.55 pm.
When the officers arrived they saw several workers tied up on the floor of the warehouse.
One of the workers signalled to the officers that the bandits were still up-stairs. On reaching up-stairs, police saw the bandits and called on them to surrender.
However, police reported that Robinson pointed a gun at them and they shot him.
He was later taken to the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex in Mt Hope where he died.
The other suspects were at large up to late yesterday.
The police believe there were between eight to 10 robbers at the scene with three vehicles
Employees of Reliable Parts and Services, Samaroo’s Material General Limited, Carpet World and Scaffolding Supply were robbed of personal items during the incident.
One traumatised employee spoke with Guardian Media about the ordeal.
Clarence Fitzroy Phillip, who is employed with Reliable Parts and Ser-vices, was beaten with cutlasses and a gun about his body. He was treated for his injuries.
Phillip said, “We collected some goods from a company and while checking it, I walked outside because I heard a vehicle coming in and when the truck came in he was blocking the driveway and I told him to pull at the side and he started to move the truck and it still remained in the centre of the driveway. So I walked back into the warehouse and when I turned back I saw two men coming in my direction from another vehicle and before I could get back into the warehouse, I saw another four men all armed with guns. They started to run directly to me and then they told me to lie down.”
He added: “Then I started to see other bandits with cutlasses coming towards me while on the ground, they started to kick me up and said not to watch them, so I turned my face and another bandit used tie straps to bound my hands.”
At this time, the bandits had made their way into the offices where they relieved staff of valuables including cellphones, money and jewellery.
Phillip also said, “The bandits started to load the goods we just received, some stoves, small refrigerators and ring stove burners, they tried to take a big refrigerator but it was too heavy for them to lift onto their truck.”
“This is a traumatic situation and life has to go on, the best thing is that nobody’s life was taken,” he added.