Robbers have field day in South and Central

Thieves went on a rampage in South and Central Trinidad yesterday committing four robberies within a few hours. The latest robbery occurred around 1.15 pm when thieves ambushed San Fernando businesswoman Haphiza Mohammed and beat her on the head before robbing her of $13,000 in valuables. Investigators said the men, who pretended to be customers, walked into Mohammed’s haberdashery store on Cipero Street and when Mohammed offered to assist one of the men, pulled out a gun.

She was beaten and tied up with duct tape. The robbers stole $3,000 from the cash register and over $10,000 worth of goods. They then ran away. Mohammed made a report at the San Fernando Police Station after which a manhunt was launched but no one was arrested. Around around the same time, Central Division Police began the search for two robbers who accosted two employees of AS Bryden and Sons and robbed them of an undisclosed sum of cash, cheques and documents.

Tiew Warton, 22, of Morvant and Anthony Smith, 32, of Diego Martin were conducting sales at Sou Sou Lands, Carlsen Field, Chaguanas around 12:05 pm when two gunmen accosted them. They forced the employees into the back of the company’s vehicle and drove off. The thieves relieved the employees of their cellular phones and other valuables before throwing them out.

The vehicle was later found abandoned in Carlsen Field. Meanwhile, hours earlier, 80-year-old Lloyd George of Independence Avenue was at his family businessplace at the corner of Johnstone and Mucurapo Street, San Fernando, when a man assaulted him and robbed him of $1,000 in cash and $2,000 in cheques. The suspect then ran off.

In yet another incident, Suresh Ramnath, 27, of Princes Town was walking down Coffee Street, San Fernando, when a man pushed him down on the pavement and robbed him of his cellular phone. The suspect also stole Ramnath’s wallet which contained $700 in cash.