Robbery victims on the brink of calling it quits
By Michel Outridge
Guyana Chronicle
March 30, 2004
After loosing their house and material possessions in a mysterious fire last year, members of a Golden Grove, East Coast Demerara family were on the brink of calling it quits Sunday after two youths armed with guns robbed them of $60,000 and a gold chain as they were about to close their railway embankment shop.
Marvis Moore, 32, of Lot 70 President's College Road, Golden Grove, East Coast Demerara, was yesterday still trying to come to grips after he was attacked and robbed about 12:45 hours Sunday by the two bandits, who were armed with 9mm pistols.
Moore told the Guyana Chronicle that he was about to take down in his television set, after viewing a movie with customers, when the youths appeared in the darkness, shoved him into his little shop and kicked him while ordering him to lie facedown. They then held a gun to his head and relieved him of $60,000 in cash that he had in his pockets.
His startled wife, Hedda Moore, began screaming when she saw the bandits. But she was also pushed into the shop and had her gold chain taken off her neck gently by one of the bandits who was pointing a gun to her head.
The gold chain was valued at $35,000.
"He said nah move or holler, just shut up or we go bust your head open with a shot," said Hedda.
The ordeal lasted some 11 minutes.
The bandits, sensing that neighbours were alerted by Hedda's screams, enquired of the Moores loudly if they were all right. Moore was told to say 'yes' by one of the bandits.
A neighbour, who is related to Moore, jumped through his window to help the couple but was deterred by a round discharged by one of the bandits.
When the Guyana Chronicle visited yesterday the damage was evident.
Moore said that too many youths in the area are unemployed and idle. Their idleness, he felt, was the contributing factor to the increased crime in the village.
He also opined that the unlit streets and railway embankment serve as a getaway for criminals who visit the area using bicycles.
Moore disclosed that he came back last year to open an Internet Café after working for "seven long years" in St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Canada.
He lost his house and worldly possessions in a mysterious fire on Deepavali Night 2003 and was forced to abandon the Internet Café initiative and start another business.
The police was summoned to the scene and recovered a 9mm spent shell.
Before the two youths staged the robbery at Moore's shop it is believed that they also robbed four other people in Golden Grove and Cove & John.