Bandit shot dead after El Socorro robbery spree

A 24-YEAR-OLD man became the second man killed by police in the past four days after he was shot on Tuesday after robbing a warehouse complex.

According to police reports, at about 1.10 pm, police received a report of a robbery at Reliable Appliances in Boundary Road, El Socorro.

When officers arrived, they saw Robinson who was left behind by his gang and who fired at the officers who returned fire. He was taken to the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex where he died while being treated.

Police said Robinson and his gang of ten, arrived in three vehicles including a pick-up and robbed four businesses on the compound, stealing from employees as well as employers.

One victim, Clarence Philbert, described the incident as "traumatic."

The bandits spilt up and robbed the workers at Samaroo's, Reliable Appliances, Carpet World and AEC Scaffolding all at the same time. He said the thieves tried to steal a large refrigerator but it was too heavy for them, and instead they took smaller appliances

Philbert, who works at Reliable Appliances, said he was robbed of $70 while a co-worker was robbed of $1,200. After he was made to lie on the ground, he was kicked in the face and planassed (hit with flat side of cutlass) on the back. He said had just finished eating lunch when the bandits came calling.

An employee at AEC Scaffolding said she was robbed of her recently purchased Samsung cellphone, which when her husband tracked it, was in Maraval at about 3 pm.

“They tell me and my supervisor to go on the ground it was two of them. They say it was a hold up and to, ‘pass everything!’ It was looking like a joke until we saw the cutlass and one of them slapped the supervisor and tell us ‘go down on the ground’.”

“They drove off and left the last man (Robinson) behind because he was taking too long. I heard two shots but I thought was somebody banging on something. The shooting happened about five minutes after we got robbed.”

Police recovered a firearm at the scene.

President of the San Juan Business Association Abraham Ali said the robbery was a continuation of increased criminal activity in the area.

“What we find happening is an increase of robberies in Aranguez and El Socorro areas and a lot of home invasions in the Aranguez area. Residents are calling for a mobile unit. There are patrols but there is a shortage of police vehicles.”

He thanked the police for their swift response.

“What we realise in the country there is a breakdown of law and order where the criminals are ready to pounce on law abiding citizens both residents and businesses. You have that being a deterrent with people not wanting to come on board to do business. I want to commend the officers for their swift response.”

Robinson’s killing is the second in the past four days. Last Saturday police killed former national boxer Jean Paul Cooper.

Police reported that about 4.30 pm, officers went to Cooper’s Fondes Amandes home with a search warrant. Cooper, they said, was in his yard with a cutlass in hand and attacked them. The officers shot him and took him to the Port of Spain General Hospital where he was declared dead on arrival.

Relatives of Cooper, 29, said they don’t expect to get justice for his killing and only hope they will be able to bury him by Saturday so his mother can attend the funeral and return to the US, where she is scheduled to undergo surgery early next week.