By Sue-Ann Wayow
THREE men who were allegedly committing several offences in Port-of-Spain including larceny during the island-wide blackout on Wednesday have been charged.
Police stated:
- Ahkell Brandon, aka ‘Froggy’, 38, of Port-of-Spain, was arrested and charged with store breaking and larceny and malicious damage;
- Ronel Arthur, 31, was charged with possession of apparatus, escaping lawful custody, store breaking with intent and malicious damage; and
- Garnet Stapleton, 38, of St. Joseph, was charged with unlawful possession.
They appeared before Magistrate Maureen Baboolal-Gafoor, on Friday to answer
the charges. Brandon was remanded into custody and the matter adjourned to March 15. Arthur is due back in court on March 16 and Stapleton’s matter was adjourned to February 23.
Police reports are that on Wednesday night into Thursday morning, officers conducted patrols and inter-agency collaborations across Port-of-Spain, during the island-wide power outage incident, to ensure that the capital city was kept safe and secure.
In the first incident, officers of the POS City Police Operational Task Force (CPOTF) were on mobile patrol around 8.30 pm, along Henry Street, when they observed the security shutters of a business place open and the glass door broken. With the assistance of Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) officers, checks were made inside the store which resulted in a 38-year-old man being discovered inside the premises, with a jacket and book bag allegedly in his possession.
The man was identified as Brandon and he was arrested and subsequently charged by WPC Roach.
In a separate incident, officers of the CPOTF, were on mobile patrol around 12.30 am, on Thursday, when they received information of a break-in at a furniture store. The officers responded and observed a man running away from the establishment. A chase ensued and the man was held a short distance away, with the assistance of officers of the IATF. The man was allegedly found to be in possession of an apparatus commonly used with the dangerous drug cocaine. The suspect resisted ran a short distance before being quickly apprehended. That man was identified as Arthur and he was charged by WPC Matloo.
In a third, unrelated incident, officers of the CPOTF were on mobile patrol around 2.55 am also on Thursday when they observed a man allegedly with two fans in his possession. The officers stopped the man and after not being satisfied as to where he got the items, he was arrested and identified as Stapleton. He charged by WPC Mayers.
