Civilian comes to rescue of abducted girls

Teen girls escape armed abductors

The bravery of one young woman and the actions of a man may have saved the life of four teenagers who were robbed and abducted over the weekend.

On Friday night around 11’o clock, four young women were sitting in an Escudo jeep which was parked at Villa on the sidewalk near to the Mariners Inn, when they were accosted by three armed bandits who robbed them.

After the men relieved the young women of three cellular phones (two iPhones and a Samsung) and over EC$600 in cash, they forced the women to remain in the vehicle and drove off with them, in the direction of Kingstown.

Reports are that one of the girls began arguing with one of the men, while slowly pulling up the vehicle’s hand brake. It is alleged that she also turned on the vehicle’s hazard lights. SEARCHLIGHT understands her actions angered the man and he told his companion who was sitting in the backseat, holding a gun, to shoot the young woman.

The driver then pulled into the gap opposite Rose Cottage at Villa, stopped the vehicle and was attempting to pull two of the young women out of the vehicle, when the other two females ran, leaving their two friends behind.

It was at that time that a Villa resident, Jomorni ‘Small Man’ Tash saw what was taking place and intervened, causing the robbers to flee the scene.

“I feel good the Almighty put me in the right place at the right time,” Tash told SEARCHLIGHT on Monday while adding, “it would been sad to see the girls get kill.”

Tash, the operator of Cheapway Bike Shop said he was sitting in his vehicle with two friends when he observed a jeep with its hazard lights on, come into the gap at a high rate of speed and stop in front the gap where he was parked, and block him in.

He said after about 60 seconds, he observed someone running towards his vehicle, so he turned on his high beam, put his vehicle in drive and drove hard towards the vehicle that had stopped because he thought that persons were coming to harm him.

“When I was going towards them, they rolled back, then I went on to the road then I heard screaming and when I look, I see the vehicle doors were opened and two girls at the side and the vehicle going back and the door lash them and knock them down,” said Tash who added that one of the girls got up and ran towards his vehicle, then the vehicle reversed and hit a pole after which three gunmen jumped out and began running towards the main road.

He said that shots were fired and one of the men left a green Puma sneaker behind.

Tash said he took two of the girls into his vehicle and they told him that two friends were with them but they did not know where they went.

He then took the girls to his home and waited for about 30 minutes for the police to arrive.

He said that the entire ordeal took place in pouring rain, so other persons in the neighbourhood did not know what was going on and it would have been unfortunate if the girls were killed or more badly hurt.

Tash said he does not see the Villa area where the girls were taken from and where other incidents have occurred recently as a dangerous area, but one that needs police presence because it is a tourist area with several restaurants.

“The area needs a police presence, not security guards; police is needed because it is a prime zone and gangsters don’t respect security guards, they quicker keep way if is police,” opined Tash.

He said before the incident, he drove past the Mariners Hotel and saw the same group of young women walking towards their vehicle and some males walking behind them, but he thought it was one big group, so he paid it no mind. He said he did not recognize the men. One of the occupants of the vehicle said the men wore bandanas on their faces to try to mask their identities.

Up to press time, police were yet to charge anyone in connection with the robbery and abduction. Commissioner of Police (COP) Colin John said that the matter is being investigated.