Adbucted businessman advises young people to stay away from crime

Business Executive at Coreas Hazells Inc., Jimmie Forde, who was abducted recently, says his entire life flashed before his eyes while he was imprisoned in the trunk of his own vehicle.

“I thought of death. I thought they were going to kill me. I thought of the people closest to me and I thought about what I did throughout the day.{{more}} I thought about my kids and certain things that I really would have loved to do,” Forde told SEARCHLIGHT yesterday.

According to police reports, at about 1:25 a.m. on July 13, Forde, the head of the food division of Coreas Hazells Inc, was making his way from the Victoria Park, when he was accosted by two masked gunmen in the North River Road area.

His assailants then placed him in the trunk of his white Nissan Tiida car, and drove around a bit, stopping once to pick up a third man. They then drove to Sion Hill Bay, where he was tied up and relieved of $800 in cash.

Forde, who indicated that he is doing very well, given the situation he was in, is sending a message to his attackers and other young people that “crime can’t pay”.

“Very few people are successful at the crime business, so if you keep it up, at some point in time it will catch up to you. There’s a better way to life than trying to make crime a career. Try to do something positive. Try to acquire a skill that you can use to make a better life for you and your family. Crime just can’t pay,” Forde told SEARCHLIGHT yesterday.

The father of three and a licensed firearm holder said people told him that he could have used his weapon to escape while he was in the trunk.

“For some reason, my brain works at top speed during difficult circumstances. I am able to stay calm and think through things clearly. I realized early that I didn’t have the skills to open the trunk. People told me how I could have opened it now, but I was thinking that if I shoot through the trunk and shoot the driver, I could have been dead too. So that was not a solution for me,” Forde added.

After he was taken out of the trunk, the three men placed Forde face down in the sand, tied his hands behind his back and wound two T-shirts over his face before they sped away in his car.

Forde said he returned to work the day after his ordeal. He stated that he did so because he feels more comfortable at work and would not think about the situation much.

“If I am at home, more than likely, I would be by myself and then you keep going over in your mind why I didn’t do this or why I didn’t do that. That is really not helpful. I feel better at work where I am not around strangers and I don’t feel threatened,” Forde explained.

“What went through my mind was to stay calm, think and look for an opportunity to talk. In the first instance, they stopped me from talking, but I just kept looking for a way to talk. I believe that once you give me an opportunity to talk, I could talk my way out of hell.”

Forde said when he was finally granted the opportunity to speak, he realized that the most aggressive of his attackers became calm. He said the apparent leader took command of the situation and asked him if he had children and if wanted to see them again.

According to Forde, his attackers sounded like teenagers.

Forde also indicated that the experience has taught him to be constantly vigilant and aware of his surroundings.

“In these times of increased violent crimes, if you are going out, try not doing so alone, especially females. Avoid dark and lonely areas and so on,” he said.

“Parents have to pay greater attention to their kids and their education. Yes, things are difficult, but if you have some education, you can help to work your way out of poverty…

Forde expressed gratitude to the Royal St Vincent and the Grenadines Police for their quick response in dispatching help to search for him. He also thanked senior members of the Coreas Hazells staff, especially managing director Joel Providence and financial controller Kevin Dickson.

“They are two of the persons, in particular, that basically led the charge in searching for me. Kevin was sick and he still went out and search for me after I sent the message from my phone,” he said.

Forde said he sustained minor injuries and was treated by a private doctor.

Police recovered Forde’s battered and bruised Nissan Tiida on Monday July 14, in the New Montrose area. It had suffered damage to the windshield and to the right front door. It also had scratches all over its body. The vehicle was discovered without licence plates.

Investigations into the matter are still ongoing.