Port Mourant robbery: “My son made the wrong choice” – mother of dead suspected teen bandit

Though admitting that her son was at fault, the mother of the alleged bandit, who was killed following a robbery attempt at Port Mourant is calling for justice to be served for the teenager’s death.

The woman is claiming that her son’s life was wrongfully ended, thus denying him the opportunity for a fair trial in the courts and even a chance to turn his life around.

It was shortly after 09:00h on Saturday last, two teenagers, one armed with a cutlass and the other with a firearm attempted to rob a Corentyne jeweller who was plying his trade at the Port Mourant Market.

Police said one of the perpetrators was 18-year-old Parmand Pertab called “Mikey” of Hampshire Village, Corentyne.

Pertab, who was armed with a cutlass, and who already had all of the stolen merchandise in his possession was confronted by several persons in the market, who managed to disarm him and take the bag away. He managed to flee from his attackers, who gave chase through several streets of Port Mourant.

Pertab then made his way to a construction site where a 32-year-old woman, who is known to him worked and he asked her to help him. Because he was masked the woman said she cannot leave her worksite but it was then that he took off the mask and revealed himself. By that time a mob arrived, some carrying cutlasses and other sticks and inflicted blows on the suspected bandit. He was nonetheless taken to the Port Mourant Hospital where he subsequently died.

The teenager’s mother, Arona Archer told this publication that an investigation should be launched into her son’s death, which she claims is murder.

She admitted that her son did commit a crime, but argued that he should have been given the opportunity to face the law.

“… what he did was wrong but there is a law. People commit murder and they are in the prison. My son didn’t murder anyone, he had the cutlass and the one that had the gun he escaped – he shot someone on both feet but my son did not shed anyone blood. When they chop him up he did not have anything on him. He dropped everything and he ran. He asked them to carry him to the station… He did not have a knife or a gun,” she revealed.

Meanwhile, the police said that at the market the businessman raised an alarm, and persons in the market confronted the bandit, who discharged three rounds in their direction, hitting one of the persons on his right leg and left thigh.

Archer said her son who is the third of four children, had been following the wrong company. Noting that he was still young, the woman said her son could have turned his life around.

“At the time that everything took place, my son made the wrong choice that Saturday morning. Whatever his intention was and he went and did that, I had no knowledge of such,” she said.

“He never stole anything and bring it here,” she added.

The grieving mother said she hopes the police investigate the incident, noting that the persons who inflicted the fatal wounds on her son must be held accountable for they too have committed a crime.

Meanwhile, the police have arrested one man as they continue to probe.

Police are also in receipt of information which suggests that the two teenagers involved in the incident at Port Mourant Market on Saturday morning would have been involved in two robberies involving motorcycles previously.

This information only became available to the police after Saturday’s incident.

As the investigation continues, the police are following several leads including one that links the alleged mastermind of the failed robbery.