Student, 13, held for 5 Uber robberies

NALINEE SEELAL

A 13-YEAR-OLD Form one student was identified in an ID parade on Sunday as one of the suspects involved in robbing five Uber drivers in Belmont between February and mid-March.

The teen, who is considered an A student and represents his school in football, was held at his Harpe Place, East Dry River home on Friday by members of the Port of Spain CID. They were led by acting Snr Supt Ajith Persad and included Insp Mark Maraj, Sgt Williams, Cpl Julien and PC Cobb.

The suspect’s parents were shocked when their son was held and their home searched. They told police they never thought he was involved in any illegal activities and even said the police had made a mistake.

He was kept yesterday at Maracas, St Joseph booking centre for children. Staff of the Children’s Authority were informed and are working with the police.

A 22-year-old man, believed to be the ringleader of the group involved in the robberies, was also held and was expected to be placed on an ID parade late yesterday.

Police said between February and the middle of this month, five Uber drivers reported to Belmont police that they were asked to pick up a passenger in Belmont, then ambushed and robbed of cash, cell phones and other valuables by a group of young men, mainly teenagers.They gave similar descriptions of the suspects.

Sources revealed that experts from Uber Technologies Inc from Mexico arrived in the country recently and teamed up with the CID to in the investigation. They traced the phone calls made by the suspects, which led them to the student and the ringleader.

None of the stolen items were found when their homes were searched.

Investigators said other suspects are to be detained shortly and are calling on members of the public who may have bought stolen items to provide information to them. Newsday understands that as a result of the robberies, Uber has decided to blacklist potential customers from Belmont.

An Uber official was contacted for comment said she could not divulge any information.

Uber Technologies Inc is a peer-to-peer ride sharing, food delivery and transportation network company based in San Francisco, California, with operations in 633 cities worldwide. It can be accessed via websites and mobile apps.