Bandit shot dead, 2 others wounded in West R'veldt robbery
--- quick response police action praised
By Michel Outridge

From left: Robbery victims, Linda Rajkumar, their four children and her husband, Sooklal Pharous yesterday at their home.

ONE bandit was shot dead by the police while his two accomplices were injured during a robbery on a West Ruimveldt family early yesterday morning when the police responded promptly to the scene and engaged the bandits in rapid gunfire while they were trying to flee the robbery scene.

According to the family's eldest son, Randell Pharous, 12, of Lot 45 West Ruimveldt Estate, about 5:00 hours yesterday morning three masked and armed men prised open their wooden back door and entered their two-bedroom flat concrete house and attacked his parents and his younger brother, demanding cash and gold jewellery.

The still traumatized child said his parents and three other siblings were awakened and were screaming for help as the backdoor to the house was being broken into by the bandits.

"After the men gained entry to the house they grabbed my mother, Linda Rajkumar, 29. She fell and they pointed a gun to her head and asked her to hand over the cash," he said.

"She told them that we are a poor family but they were not convinced and began beating my father, Sooklal Pharous, 35. It was then my mother took out $20,000 she had as savings and gave it the bandits."

Micheal Sookdeo, the mechanic, whose dog was shot points to the car in, which the dead bandit sought refuge.

The bandits told the family that they "did not come fuh no petty cash" and took Kevin Pharous, 7, and put a gun to his head demanding more cash.

"They told us that they would shoot me if they did not get more money and jewellery because we 'gat a nice lil house' and we 'gat money'," related Kevin.

The bandits also took the pair of gold earring that Linda was wearing at that time and ransacked the house in their bid to locate valuables.

Four-year-old Alana said that the men took cigarettes, sweets and a tape from the kitchen.

They broke glass bottles of sweets and emptied about $800 in coins which were in a bottle in their pockets and even took some ornaments off the wall to take away.

Randy, 9, told the Guyana Chronicle yesterday that the gunmen cut the telephone cord and peeped through the front louver window and saw a police patrol parked outside the house and opened the front door and ran out.

The back door, which was prised open by the bandits where they gained entry to the house while, a child looks on.

One of the bandits reportedly sought refuge in the neighbour's yard, by hiding in a parked car under the shed in the mechanic shop owned by Michael Sookdeo.

But Sookdeo's dog which was locked in a pen by the fence kept barking, blowing his cover. The man shot the dog to silence it and was attempting to climb the neighbour's zinc fence, when on seeing the approaching police patrol, opened fire on the police. The ranks discharged a volley of bullets, which hit the bandit. He ran a short distance away, collapsed and died minutes after.

The dead bandit has since been identified as 28-year-old Rodwell Slowe, called "Jonathon" and "Featherine", of Cooper Street, Albouystown.

Residents in the area said they heard rapid gunfire and found cigarettes and a tape belonging to the victims a short distance away.

Slowe's two accomplices were also shot and wounded in the gun battle a few yards from the scene of the robbery, as they, too, were attempting to escape.

They were apprehended and are listed as stable in hospital, where they are under heavy police guard.

Robbery victims, Linda Rajkumar and her husband, Sooklal Pharous were yesterday with the police when the Guyana Chronicle visited.

The residence of the robbery victims at West Ruimveldt.

Neighbours and relatives who had gathered at the home of the robbery expressed shock and outrage regarding the incident. But they all congratulated the police for their quick response to reports of the robbery and their prompt action in pursuing and catching the bandits.

The police said that one .32 Taurus pistol with eight live matching rounds, one 9MM pistol and house breaking implements, among other items, were recovered at the scene of the robbery.

Linda Rajkumar operates a small sweetie stand from inside her yard while her husband, Sooklal Pharous, is a horse cart operator.

MAY 13, 2004