A Chinese supermarket on the East Coast of Demerara was robbed on Friday by two armed men leading to a police chase during which the ranks traded gunshots with the suspects.
The incident occurred sometime between 16:52h and 17:00h on Friday at the Hong Yuang Supermarket.
Police say two men, one of whom was armed with a knife and the other a handgun – both wearing surgical masks with hoodies over their heads (one had on a grey hoodie, and the other a black hoodie), carted off with a quantity of GTT cell phone cards and two Samsung cell phones belonging to the proprietors of the supermarket.
The security guard at the supermarket, a 52-year-old from Friendship, East Coast Demerara, and an employee of Omkar Persaud Security Service, told the Police that at around 16:52h, he was performing duty when the suspects arrived at the supermarket on a motorcycle bearing registration number CL 5553 and stopped in front of the supermarket.
The motorcycle the suspects left behind
Both suspects came off the motorcycle and entered the supermarket, proceeded to the cashier areas where they took an undisclosed sum of cash and phone cards. One of the suspects relieved the proprietor of the mentioned cell phones. Thereafter, the suspects exited the supermarket and escaped the scene on the motorcycle.
At about 16:59hrs, someone called Vigilance Police Station and reported the matter. As a result, a police patrol responded promptly, and while proceeding West along Lusignan Prison Road, East Coast Demerara, the suspects were spotted on the motorcycle, proceeding North on a red motorcycle bearing registration number CL 5553.
The Ranks gave chase, and while in pursuit, one of the suspects (pillion rider) discharged several rounds in the direction of the ranks, who returned fire in their direction.
During the chase at Felicity, Railway Embankment, East Coast Demerara, the suspects lost control of the motorcycle and fell in a nearby trench. Both suspects got up, left the motorcycle, and began running and jumping several fences headed North into a bushy area. The ranks gave chase behind them but they managed to escape.
Police canvased the area where the suspects fell, and one 9mm pistol, one magazine with six live matching rounds and one round in the chamber – a total of 7 rounds, one Samsung cellphone, one black side bag containing a quantity of Twenty Dollar bills totalling $1,240 (Guyana currency) and one knife were found on the ground, about one foot away from the motorcycle.
Meanwhile, several CCTV cameras that were affixed to the supermarket were examined by the investigators, and footage that captured the ordeal was extracted.
As a result, the police interviewed the security guard since the CCTV revealed that he was ‘casual’ with one of the suspects.
Then at around 22:25 hrs Friday night, acting on information received, Police arrested a 20-year-old unemployed resident of Leopold Street, Georgetown, who fitted the description of one of the suspects. He was told of the allegation, cautioned, arrested, and taken to Vigilance Police Station, where he was placed into custody to assist with the investigation.
Investigations are ongoing.
