Jail for Burger King bandit

STACY MOORE

A chef who, at gunpoint, robbed several customers at a Burger King in south Trinidad one year ago, was yesterday sentenced to 25 years in prison by a San Fernando magistrate.

In passing sentence against Devon Aguillera, senior magistrate Cheryl-Ann Antoine said a strong message must be sent because of the prevalence of gun violence. “People are scared and too many feel when they have a gun in their hands, they have the power to terrorise people,” Antoine said.

“People have lost their sense of safety in the public.”

Antoine described the act by Aguillera as brazen. “No mask was used, you and others just casually walked into Burger King with a gun and robbed people. At 19 years, you should have known better.”

Aguillera, now 20, of Embacadere, San Fernando, pleaded guilty to the charges of robbing five customers including a security officer and the outlet’s manager.

Police prosecutor Cleyon Seedan told the court, on July 26 last year, Aguillera and two other men, armed with guns, entered Burger King at Gulf City and announced a hold up. Aguillera pointed a gun at the customers and demanded they hand over cash and their cell phones. A total of $4,802 was taken from customers. The court also heard the he ordered the manger to open the cash register from which he stole $7,976. Aguillera also robbed the security officer of a Samsung cell phone valued $1,800. The men then escaped.

A report was made at the San Fernando police station. Aguillera was arrested in La Romaine. A wallet containing the identification card of one of the victims was also found in his pants pocket together with the stolen cell phone and a quantity of cash. He confessed to the robbery and was later charged.

Attorney Ainsely Lucky pleaded for a non-custodial sentence. He said his client was remorseful and had given into negative peer pressure. “Had he known, he would have turned his back to temptation and we would not have been present here.”

He said his client was a chef at an establishment in south Trinidad and the father of a one-year-old.

Antoine, after hearing the defence, sentenced Aguillera to serve five years in jail on each of the five offences. The charges will run concurrently so Aguillera would actually serve five years in jail.