America St. money-changer gunned down by bandits

Feb 21, 2014 News

– City businessman among two detained

An America Street money-changer was yesterday morning shot and killed by bandits on Lombard Street, just minutes after he had left his Eccles, East Bank Demerara home. The assailants, one armed with a handgun, also grabbed a bag containing $1M and made good their escape. Dead is 42-year-old Brijlall Persaud. Kaieteur News was told the incident occurred about 08:10hrs.

Dead: Brijlall Persaud

One senior police official told this publication late last night that a city businessman was one of two men who had been detained in relation to the robbery/murder.
According to reports, Persaud was driving along Lombard Street when one of two men opened fire on his vehicle. The bullets shattered the glass on the driver’s side window. Kaieteur News understands that Persaud was shot to the head and leg. He was pronounced dead on arrival at the Georgetown Hospital.
An eyewitness told Kaieteur News that he was walking along Lombard Street at the time of the fatal attack.
“I see de car stop just so, right….then I see these two boys come out and run to de blue Raum (Persaud’s vehicle).The next thing I hear was a loud explosion. I didn’t know what it was really…Is after I see people running is then I realize somebody get shoot. I run up to the vehicle too, and is then I see blood running from the back of de man head, from in he ears, and it was all over the front of he shirt,” the man told Kaieteur News.
The bandits reportedly snatched a bag from the businessman’s vehicle and rushed back to a waiting car.
Kaieteur News understands that there was a second bag in the rear seat which was left behind. Relatives yesterday declined to speak to Kaieteur News at the businessman’s home yesterday morning.