Latest update November 24th, 2024 1:00 AM
Dec 13, 2016 News
“Notorious” is the word being used to describe the gang of men who attacked, robbed and left 30-year-old Orin Baptiste for dead along the trail at 14 Miles Issano.
Last Wednesday, Baptiste of East Ruimveldt, Georgetown, was shot with an arrow, beaten, chopped and left for dead on the trail at the Upper Mazaruni, Region Seven location.
He was air-dashed to the city, hours after the attack and was admitted at the Georgetown Public Hospital, where he remains a patient.
The man suffered injuries to both arms as well as a gash to his left knee cap which was almost severed. He has since undergone a number of surgeries.
Speaking with this publication from his hospital bed yesterday, Baptiste recalled that he was leaving the area to return to Georgetown, when he was attacked. He had ventured into the interior about two months ago to seek employment.
He explained that while working in the area on a dredge for a man called “Morris, he decided to return home to Georgetown.
“After I finish de work I get couple pennyweight of raw gold. It was me and about three other man and we decide to come out. They come out before me and we meet up.”
“The men,” he said “gave me money to buy some things fuh we eat at a shop. When I come back they ask me to keep dem bags.”
While standing along the trail watching over the bags, Baptiste said that he was attacked.
“All I know is like about six men run pass me. I didn’t tek it for nothing, but then they circle me and one pull a arrow and bow and shoot me. They scramble up the bags and started to beat and chop me. Ah know one of dem though; the one that shoot me with the arrow is an Amerindian man. I know him. I meet he when I de going in the bush and he showed me a shortcut.”
The injured man recalled that the men searched the bags and emptied his pockets before leaving him in a bloodied state along the trail.
He said that he could have been dead if it were not for a few public-spirited citizens on a passing truck. The man recalled that the group of assailants ran off after some people on the truck intervened.
“They run into the bush, but people know them. It look like is this what they does do – beat and rob people in the trail. And because police deh far away from there, it got to be that they does do this thing steady, because the police would tek about five hours before they reach dem,” Baptiste reflected.
From all appearances, the man said, the police have not arrested anyone in connection with the incident.
The injured man expressed his concerns about the investigations.
“One police woman alone come at the hospital to see me since, and she tek down me name alone. She didn’t even look to tek a statement. They had an Amerindian lady in there (14 Miles Issano) that know these people that rob me, and I know the woman,” he explained
The father of one is adamant that his attackers must be found and brought to justice.
“I could have died because I lose a lot of blood, and I wait for almost a whole day before I get to the station and then the hospital. Dem man could have killed me for li’l gold,” he stressed.
Nov 24, 2024
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