Police Commissioner, Mr Rudolph Proctor, has issued a warning to members of the public about the possibility of increased burglaries, robberies and thefts over the Christmas season. His warning, on Wednesday this week, came as Inspector Emris Rogers spoke about a series of burglaries committed in the early morning hours of Wednesday, November 26, at Cul-de-Sac in the Blowing Point area.
Inspector Rogers reported those burglaries as follows:
“At about 3.46 am, a couple reported that a burglar tried to enter a window of their villa. They put up a fight and he ran away. One of the visitors sustained injuries to his arm and face; at about 4.03, an elderly lady reported that a burglar entered her villa while she was in bed. He held something to her throat, indecently assaulted her and robbed her of a small sum of money. At about 4.41 another elderly lady reported that a burglar entered her villa – while she was in bed – held a box cutter to her throat, indecently assaulted her and robbed her of a small sum of money. At about 6.58, the owner of an apartment reported that she discovered that her apartment was burglarised and a large sum of money was missing from a wallet.”
Inspector Rogers told reporters that the police interviewed a young man, who was recently released from prison, and after executing a search warrant, items of evidential value were found at his home. The young man, Rolandito Richardson, of Blowing Point, said to be in his 20s, was arrested and charged with burglary and handling stolen property in relation to two of the four burglaries in accordance with the evidence. He appeared before the Magistrate’s Court where he was denied bail and remanded to prison.
Commissioner Proctor said that burglaries, robberies and thefts were among the main offences being committed in Anguilla. He noted that apart from money and other property, in many cases the stolen items were jewellery. These were being sold to business persons from Venezuela, and elsewhere – travelling through the Caribbean – collecting items of gold and paying for them, of late, with various electronic devices.
The Commissioner disclosed that in two incidents Venezuelans, leaving Anguilla, were intercepted, at the port, carrying jewellery which may have been stolen and sold to them. He cautioned members of the public to be aware of this type of trade called “cash for gold”, now “electronics for gold”.
