Suspect who 'dressed as priest' charged with robbery with violence

TWO men, one of whom allegedly ran into a church and dressed as an RC priest to disguise himself from police, were expected to face a master in the High Court on August 19.

They are jointly charged with two counts of robbery with violence.

The charges stemmed from a robbery last week in Maraval, which ended in an arrest in the Holy Rosary RC church in central Port of Spain.

A police statement on August 19 said the police held Joel Cruickshank, 26, of Dan Kelly in Laventille, and Moses Waithe, 24, of Dickson Street in Maraval, mid-morning on August 15, in Port of Spain

Waithe was separately charged with having a gun and ammunition.

The police received information about a robbery, and PC Persad and other officers who were on mobile patrol in the capital city near the intersection of Park and Henry Streets intercepted a NP 300 pickup.

Two suspects got out, and one dropped a 9 mm pistol with a magazine loaded with 13 rounds of ammunition.

After a brief chase, both suspects were held. One had run into the nearby church, where the police found him hiding in a room wearing a priest’s robe.

Another was held a short distance away. A third escaped.

The police recovered a quantity of cash, two Samsung cell phones, two TVs and a safe.

The police contend that earlier in the day, around 8.30 am on August 15, three men, one with a gun, ambushed a man in his garage and forced him back into his home.

The suspects tied up the man and another occupant of the house, ransacked it and stole a Samsung 55-inch TV, $15,000, cash in various foreign currencies, and two cellphones.

The suspects left in the victim’s grey NP 300 pickup.

After freeing themselves, the victims discovered an empty iron safe and a 37-inch Phillips TV missing.

Police are searching for the third suspect.