Police nab Santa Cruz bandit by tracking stolen phone

A Santa Cruz man was arrested on January 27 after he was found with a stolen cellphone shortly after a robbery in Newton, Port of Spain.

According to police, at 11.15 pm on January 26, a woman and her niece were sitting in the gallery of her home in Newtown when a man jumped over the wall and bannister of the gallery.

The man attempted to take the women’s phones and there was a struggle, during which one of the women was pushed against the bannister and fell. She was eventually taken for medical treatment for abrasions to her left elbow, wrist and upper arm.

The man escaped with both phones and a report was made to the Woodbrook Police Station where the officers traced one of the phones to Saddle Road, San Juan. The police went to the location and spotted a man who fitted the description of the suspect.

Police searched the man, allegedly found one of the cell phones that were reported stolen, and arrested him.

The 43-year-old man was assisting WPC Hosein who is leading enquiries into the report of robbery with violence.

Investigations were ongoing and charges were expected to be laid in the matter.