– policeman among three suspects arrested at roadblock

A landlord managed to save his tenants from four armed bandits on Friday night after hearing a commotion in their apartment that led to an armed confrontation and the death of one of the bandits, along with the arrest of three others.

Dead is Mark Prince, 39, called “Fine Man” of James and Curtis Streets, Albouystown, Georgetown.

Back in July 2016, police issued a wanted bulletin for Prince in relation to the offence of robbery under arms.

In January 2016, Prince was charged and remanded to prison on an armed robbery charge. He was also accused of several other robberies.

The other suspects were identified as a 20-year-old unemployed man of Herstelling ,East Bank Demerara; a 23-year-old unemployed man of Buxton, East Coast Demerara, who is hospitalised, and a serving policeman and a female.

Reports indicate that the robbery was committed on Guang Hong Wang, a 43-year-old female Chinese proprietor of Five Star Restaurant, located at 695 Tuschen New Housing Scheme, East Bank Essequibo (EBE).

At the time of the robbery, a customer, identified as Navindra Lakahalall, 37, of Zeelugt New Housing Scheme, EBE, was also robbed.

Police said two of the bandits were armed with cutlasses and one with a handgun when they attacked the businesswoman at approximately 21:00hrs Friday night.
Investigations revealed that Wang and her husband operate the restaurant on the lower flat of the premises, while Navindra was a customer, when one of the robbers and a woman entered the restaurant and purchased two beers.

After drinking the beers, the duo proceeded to order a case of beer and Wang was in the process of delivering same when the man whipped out a gun and proceeded to rob her and the other persons in the restaurant.

The bandits then forced the businesswoman into her apartment, making demands for more cash and valuables, when the landlord, who is a licensed firearm holder, overheard the commotion.

Upon investigation, the landlord, who retrieved his firearm, was attacked by one of the armed suspect and another with a cutlass. As a result, he was forced to discharge several rounds in their direction after which the other suspects fled.

They then rushed to the roadway into motorcar PTT 8606 that was parked nearby, leaving their accomplice, Prince, who was wounded at the scene.

The landlord and others in the area then made contact with the police and the vehicle, with the bandits, was intercepted at a road block on the public road in front of the Den Amstel Police Station.

When police searched the car, one of the wounded robbers, who was in the back seat, was arrested and taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital where he is listed as being in a stable condition.

Police also discovered an unlicensed pistol with an empty magazine in the car, along with a sum of cash. Cellular phones were found on the other suspects.

At the scene, Mark Prince was found motionless with a suspected gunshot wound to the neck, a cutlass in his right hand and a haversack on his back.

He was taken to the Leonora Cottage Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival. A search of his body revealed he had a sum of $130,000.