Cops, soldiers lock down Carlton Centre during manhunt

OVER a dozen police officers, four Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force officers and mall security locked down the Cathay House wing of Carlton Centre, San Fernando, on March 21 as they searched for a suspect in a High Street robbery.

Newsday had a front-row seat to the events as its south bureau is housed in that wing of the mall.

Around 10.26 am, police told staff at offices and businesses in the block to lock their doors and not let anyone in or out as they searched the building.

Inside, shouts could be heard punctuating the loud banging of doors on the second floor as police broke into office spaces clearly searching for someone but the circumstances remained unclear at that point.

In the parking lot, police issued the same instruction to the businesses on the ground floor as security personnel stood sentry at the three entrances into the wing, directing shoppers and pedestrians away.

Dozens of onlookers gathered outside JTA Supermarket, all with their own theories on what was going on. Some speculated it may be a bomb threat while others said they heard police were searching for multiple suspects who stole a woman’s purse on High Street.

But Newsday was told by police they were hunting a man who stole jewellery from a nearby store owner on High Street.

Newsday visited the store while police were searching for the bandit and met with its owner.

She was upset over the robbery and asked for her name and business not to be identified.

Recalling the ordeal, she said around 10 am she was inside her store when a man wearing traditional female Muslim head wear, with his face concealed, entered and grabbed her hand.

She was wearing three gold bracelets.

She said she began shouting and fighting back, falling on the ground during the struggle.

But she said the man managed to take one of her bracelets. She said it was valued at around $4,000 and she had it for 22 years. It held great sentimental value, she said.

The man then ran toward Carlton Centre. She showed Newsday her bruised forearm and elbow, which was injured when she fell.

A man said he saw the incident and heard people people shouting, “Go after him,” as the bandit escaped.

He said he alerted the police who began their hunt.

Meanwhile, the police and Defence Force personnel escalated their search of the wing, gradually expanding it to the roof.

Around 1 pm, the police and Defence Force began running to their vehicles shouting: “Drive, drive, drive!”

They went to a business place on Chacon Street after being told the bandit was in that building. Their search came up empty handed.

Mystar: Suspect identified, arrest imminent

At 2 pm, Assistant Commissioner of Police for South and Central Wayne Mystar visited Carlton Centre. He told Newsday the man was identified from security footage.

“An arrest is imminent. The team is searching and right now we just received information that he’s in a particular location so we are going to apprehend him as we speak.”

Newsday was unable to confirm if the suspect was captured up to press time.

Mystar commended the people who gave police vital information.

“We keep saying, if you see something say something and with that we want to commend the public for partnering with us and assisting us in these kind of situations.”

Mystar said the city of San Fernando was doing well for 2025 in terms of serious crime and hoped it would stay that way. He said there was always a police presence in the area to help keep the city safe.

Mystar was on his way to meet the store owner and said he would offer for the police’s victim and witness support team to lend support to her.

San Fernando Chamber head: Business would be affected

President of the Greater San Fernando Area Chamber of Commerce Kiran Singh commended the police’s continued work on safety in the city but lamented the incident would have immediate negative effects on business along High Street.

“We have to stamp out crime. San Fernando is a normally peaceful, very safe city to be in. We haven’t had an incident here in quite a while and we want that to remain so.

“It (the incident) would have an immediate negative impact psychologically of course. Today is Friday, it’s the busiest shopping day and will have some impact.”

He hoped that the speed and scale of the police’s response to the incident would help reassure the public.

Singh urged the public to remain vigilant and to be aware of their surroundings.

“Don’t become an easy target and easy prey to fall victim to criminals.”