Businessman robbed, shot in presence of three-year-old daughter

A businessman gave up more than EC$5,000 during a robbery earlier this week to ensure the safety of his three-year-old daughter.

Rilland Hill resident Stanley “Dula” Isaacs is currently a patient at the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital (MCMH), where he is nursing a gunshot wound to his left thigh. He sustained the injury when three masked men barged into his business place waving guns on Monday night.

Isaacs told SEARCHLIGHT that the incident occurred around 10:05 p.m., while he was packing LPG cylinders, which he sells along with drinks from the ground floor of home.

“I was given the usual deliveries, but I had some gas to pack in, about 100 or so; I decided to pack them in before I do the delivery,” Isaacs said.

That is when three masked men barged into the business place, saying something which he says he could not understand.

“One came around, as he came around, he pelt a shot in the business place and then he shoot me in me leg and then demanded money.

“So I told him look the money in the bucket. He took the money in the bucket and he start to say ‘okay that’s not enough money,’ I had to hide my money somewhere else.

“So I told him look above the bucket, but he didn’t find the money there.”

Isaacs said the robber appeared frustrated at that point and started hitting him in his head with a gun.

“He point the gun to my little daughter, a little three-year-old, then point the gun to me head and demanded money, so I tell him where the balance of the money is, so he took the money and then left.”

Isaacs said that during the incident there were three other persons in the shop.

However, he could not identify any of the robbers because they were disguised in what he described as Halloween masks.

“The big ugly face, with the big teeth.”

Isaacs, who is also a Grade Three teacher at the Dubois Primary School, disclosed that the bucket had $200 and change but the money they robbers escaped with was in excess of $5,000.

His wholesale and retail business has been operational for eight years and according to Isaacs, during that time, neither he nor his business had never been the victim of a crime.

Since the incident, Isaacs girlfriend has relocated with her daughter to her parents’ house in Barrouallie as she felt unsafe.

“I don’t have a problem living here,” a relaxed Isaacs said.

Surprised by the incident, the businessman said he has no idea who would want to rob him.

“I’m friends with everybody, so I don’t know if it’s guys from Rilland or Penniston or outside, it’s hard to decipher.”

Isaacs has a broken femur as a result of the gunshot and believes that because of his injury he may have to spend up to two months in the hospital.

He was shot a few inches above the knee, and the bullet bore through the left side of his leg.

Isaacs was expected to have undergone surgery on his leg yesterday. (AS)