Two out of three bandits who were captured following an armed robbery committed at the 5 Star Chinese restaurant in Tuschen, East Bank Essequibo (EBE) on January 3, 2020, appeared at the Leonora Magistrates Courts earlier today where they were arraigned for the crime.
24- year-old Police Constable Jonathan Harry attached to the Special Branch at Eve Leary, Georgetown along with 20-year-old Akande Ross, of Herstelling, East Bank Demerara appeared before Magistrate Zameena Ali-Paul and were not required to plea to the charge.
Detectives are yet to institute charges against wounded suspect Shaquille Wilbury, who remains hospitalised. The police are also on the hunt for one female.
According to the prosecution’s case, On January 3, 2020, Jonathan Harry, Akande Ross, Shaquille Wilbury, the now deceased Mark Prince and a woman invaded the Five Star Chinese Restaurant where they executed the armed robbery.
Police stated that the owner of the business, 43-year-old Guang Hong Wang, her husband and a customer, 37-year-old Navindra Lakahalall, were in the restaurant at the time when one of the suspects entered with a woman and purchased two beers.
Soon after the consumed the beverage, they ordered a case of beers and in the process of Wang delivering the same, the male suspect whipped out a handgun and relieved her of two cell phones and an undisclosed sum of cash.
He then turned his attention to Lakahalall and relieved him of one silver chain and an undisclosed sum of cash. In the height of the robbery, the three other suspects entered.
However, a licensed holder of a handgun who lives nearby heard the commotion and immediately went to investigate and was attacked by the armed suspect and another with a cutlass.
As such, he was forced to discharge several rounds in their direction after which the suspects fled the premises in motor car PTT 8606 that was parked nearby, leaving their accomplice Prince who was wounded at the scene.
The police were contacted and the vehicle was intercepted at a roadblock on the public road in front of the Den Amstel Police Station.
At the time, the car had three occupants- one was in the back seat with what appeared to be a gunshot wound. He was questioned, arrested and taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital where he was admitted in stable condition.
An unlicensed pistol with an empty magazine was found in the vehicle along with an undisclosed sum of cash and cellular phones.
He was escorted to the Leonora Cottage Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival. A search on his person revealed $130,000.
Meanwhile, Harry and Ross are expected to make their next court appearance on February 3, 2020.