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~ Arrested with four accomplices at PJIA ~
PHILIPSBURG--A Dominican Republic national working as a security officer at the Son Latino Bar, restaurant and nightclub was amongst five persons arrested on Tuesday for stealing more than US $70,000 in cash and over one kilo of gold and jewellery worth some US $20,000, from the home of his boss E. Garcia on Monday.
The five were arrested at Princess Juliana International Airport SXM trying to flee the country. Garcia said the money stolen were funds he had accumulated over the past three weeks from his three businesses: Son Latino Bar, restaurant, and nightclub, Cash for Gold pawn shop and his car wash all located near each other on the A. Th. Illidge Road. He lives on the same premises. He said the funds were to pay his employees, his bills and to fuel his Cash for Gold business.
Garcia told The Daily Herald that he had been drinking with some friends at his night club on Sunday. Because he had to close early that evening based on an order from Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs for all businesses to close their doors as of 10:00pm as a precautionary measure for the passing of Danny, Garcia said he and some friends, including the security officer in question, went to French St. Martin and then to another location to get something to eat.
Garcia said when they reached their destination; he placed his home keys in the centre of his car where the cup holder is located. The security staffer, whom he had given a job to work just over a month ago, picked up his keys and gave it to two other persons, who are believed to have used the key to enter Garcia’s home and stole the money, gold and other items while Garcia was out.
When Garcia, got home around 7:00am on Monday, his door was open and he immediately realised that he had been robbed. He said over US $70,000 as well as about one kilo of gold and jewellery worth US $20,000, his tablet and other electronic items were amongst the things stolen from his home.
Garcia said he went straight to the security officer’s home, but the person was not there. When the landlord opened his apartment it was empty, all clothing had been removed, which led Garcia to believe that the staffer had been planning to rob him for a very long time.
Garcia said he has some 2,000 followers on his Son Latino SXM Facebook page. He decided to post the information about the security officer who robbed him, along with the suspect’s picture on his Facebook page along with a reward of US $20,000 for anyone who could locate him. Garcia said there were about 300 persons on the island from his Facebook page who were looking out for the robber after he made the post.
The suspect along with four other persons were arrested by police trying to flee the country on Tuesday. Prosecutor Karola van Nie confirmed the arrest, but declined to provide any additional information when asked on Tuesday.
In a police report issued later in the day, acting Police spokesperson Inspector Steven Carty said the Police Central Dispatch received a call on Monday, August 24, that the Son Latino bar had been broken into. He said the Justice Ministry’s multidisciplinary team, which falls under the Police Force, conducted an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the robbery. Five Dominican Republic natives, one woman and four men, were arrested at the airport as a result of the robbery. During a search of the luggage of the suspects, money, phones and jewellery were found and confiscated.
Carty said the multidisciplinary team includes Immigration and Border Protection Services, Customs and the St. Maarten Police Force.
In the meantime, Garcia said up to press time last night he had not yet gotten back the money or gold stolen by the suspects. He said the police informed him that they will contact him last evening or this morning. He said he needs his funds to continue running his three businesses, especially Cash for Gold, which cannot operate without cash, as well as to pay his staffers.
Garcia said he had hired the security who robbed him just over a month ago. He said the man approached him and asked him for a job, and while he did not have any vacancies available at the time, he decided to help the man out, by giving him employment to work with the security company at his place of business.
