Anna-Lisa Paul
The police are once again urging the public to cease and desist from going to unknown locations to transact online sales after a Siparia woman was shot during an incident on Tuesday.
The 34-year-old victim was shot by the armed bandit as she and several others attempted to escape being robbed.
Reports indicate the victim contacted the alleged seller via FaceBook Marketplace regarding the sale of a vehicle and made arrangements to meet at Mission Road, San Juan, at 1 pm on July 23. It is alleged that as the victim and four others arrived at the location, the bandit pointed a gun at them and announced a robbery.
As the victims drove off, the unknown man fired several shots at their vehicle, hitting the woman once in the abdomen. The victim is said to be in critical condition at the Intensive Care Unit of the Port-of-Spain General Hospital.
Senior officials in the North Eastern Division are urging the public to arrange such transactions in public spaces and even at police stations where lawmen can oversee them in the interest of safety and security.
Meanwhile, quick work by officers led by Senior Superintendent Mervyn Edwards and Superintendent Birch along with personnel from the North Eastern Division Task Force, CID, and the Gang Investigation Unit led to the arrest of a 20-year-old male suspect from Barataria and the recovery of an AR -15 rifle.