Bag-snatcher shot dead

Jan 07, 2012 News

– after robbing woman in minisbus

A bag-snatching thief was shot dead at around 10:30 hrs yesterday after posing as a passenger and robbing a woman who was travelling in a minibus near Covent Gardens, East Bank Demerara.
Police said that the thief, who is still unidentified, was fatally wounded while attempting to flee into nearby canefields with the woman’s bag, which contained $90,000, a cell phone and some clothing.
He was pronounced dead on arrival at the Diamond Diagnostic Centre.
The victim was identified as 25-year-old Florie Emmanuel of Diamond, East Bank Demerara and police said that they recovered the woman’s handbag and all her valuables.
One eyewitness told Kaieteur News that Emanuel was in a minibus heading to Georgetown and was chatting on her mobile phone about the money she had, which was to “pay off some people.”
Unknown to the woman, the thief was sitting next to her, and when the bus stopped for someone to disembark, he quickly snatched Emanuel’s bag, exited the bus and fled.
Kaieteur News was told that some of the passengers gave chase. As luck would have it, a police patrol was in the area and the ranks also pursued the robber.
According to police, the robber attempted to flee into nearby abandoned cane-fields and a rank opened fire when he refused to halt.
The injured man was rushed to the Diamond Diagnostic Center, where he succumbed to his injuries. His body was later transferred to the Lyken Funeral Home. Up to press time no one had come forward to identify the man.
Recounting her ordeal, Florie Emmanuel told Kaieteur News that she heading to the city to pay some bills when the incident happened. Emmanuel said that the suspect snatched her handbag and started running. She said public spirited persons started running behind him and he was eventually shot by pursuing ranks.
Police retrieved the woman’s handbag with the money and other valuables intact.