Two young men, who robbed a taxi driver and hijacked his vehicle Wednesday night, had enough conscience to give the man $500 to return to the city, from a spot on the Soesdyke-Linden Highway where they had dumped him.
But the two were nabbed early yesterday morning while sitting on an empty stall in the vicinity of the Mackenzie car park in Linden. The car, a brown Toyota Sprinter motorcar, HA 6919, was found abandoned along the Linden highway early yesterday morning.
The police said the two hijackers were found in possession of a loaded 9mm pistol and items they had stolen from the driver. The men reportedly told the police that they were just making a "lil' hustle" because they could not find work.
Owner of the car, Brian Gittens, yesterday recalled the hours he spent praying for deliverance while in the trunk of his car, since, according to the father of four, the hijackers seemed unfamiliar with driving a stick gear car.
Gittens said he picked up the duo on Mandela avenue, in the vicinity of the Shopping Plaza bridge at about 11:15 pm on Wednesday, and they had requested to be taken to Banks Park, a short distance away.
"Whilst taking them there, in industrial site area, the one in the back seat placed a gun to the back of my head, ordered me to stop the car and they proceeded to rob me... took away my cellular phone," the man recalled.
He was then ordered out of the car and placed in the trunk.
"At that time, a car was coming in the opposite direction, so they hurried me up, placed me into the trunk and then I felt the car being moved off, which they had problems doing since it is stick shift... After some time of trying, they were able to get it going and they proceeded up the East Bank. From time to time, I was peeping out of the trunk to keep abreast with my location... While I was in the trunk I was calling on the Lord's name. Knowing they couldn't drive, I was worried they would get into an accident with me in the trunk."
Eventually the car turned off the East Bank road, on to the Soesdyke-Linden highway and, after driving for some time, the car stopped. The taxi driver said the men ordered him out of the trunk, with the gun trained on him, then told him to remove his clothing.
After searching the garments and removing his wallet and other personal belongings, the hijackers returned Gittens's pants and shirt only, and sent him into the bushes. Unbelievably, the 'bandits' gave their victim enough money to return to the city.
"They gave me back my house keys and $500 for me to get back down... They were not joking, they were quite serious. They asked me for my IDs and all of that. A next vehicle was again passing in the opposite direction so that confused things... they get into the car and they drive for a little while again."
After walking for some time without shoes, the man said he was rescued by a truck driver named 'Clive,' who was driving GCC 6807.
"I walked about 230 paces, then I came up to the first sign, marked Salem, then I proceeded, all the time trying to flag down mostly large vehicles, because I was afraid that I run in back to these guys. I passed a few other signs... All the time I was praying for something to stop. Eventually, this guy pulled up. I explained to him what the situation was and begged assistance and he took me to Mackenzie station and left me there. But when we reached Mackenzie and he stopped, he asked me what type of car it was and I described it to him and he said he saw the car parked on the side of the road... I am very grateful to that guy. Not many people would have stopped for me. He himself admitted that he would not normally stop," Gittens said.
It was from there that the drama began to unfold, which led to the capture of the two hijackers. Gittens told the police about the possibility of his car being abandoned at Adventure, along the highway and was accompanied back to the location where it turned out to be true.
"The police leave the car there and took me back to Mackenzie and with me in the vehicle, started patrolling and searching the town and the market area and saw the two [hijackers] sitting on a stand and I pointed them out... It was near about 4:30 in the morning."
A search of the men, one of whom turned out to be a 19-year-old from South Ruimveldt, Georgetown and the other, a 21-year-old from Wismar, revealed that they had all of Gittens's property in their possession. This was confirmed by a release from the Police Public Relations Department yesterday.
"They had in their possession my cellular phone, my wallet (minus the $4,000 cash), other stuff that they took from the car - the tape deck, the power booster, documents for the vehicle, dog training equipment along with the car keys and the weapon that they used... The police questioned them and they gave conflicting stories. One time they saying it was just a lil' hustle they mekking, cause they can't get work [and] that they were coming to Linden to get work, but they hadn't money to pay me," the taxi driver stated.
Despite the spate of carjackings that erupted last year, Gittens said the drive to make a living overrode any fear he might have had.
"I work strictly night, because I train dogs in the day... I have to live. I have to earn a living. I have to put aside fear and go out there and do what I have to do."
The police said they found a 9mm pistol and three rounds of ammunition, a cell phone, a stocking mask and wallet in the duo's possession and that charges are expected to be laid shortly.