BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – JUST hours after the formal arrest and charge of three of the four suspects who were in police custody since Tuesday (Nov. 16), the fourth suspect and a fifth were also charged for Sunday’s (Nov. 14) armed robbery of 17 cruise ship tourists.
The two men are Elroy ‘Stanny’ Williams (29) of Crab Hill and 23-year-old Adminston Lewis also of Crab Hill. They were charged with armed robbery; the same charge yesterday preferred against Devon ‘X Man’ Hodge (28) of The Alley, Grenville ‘Rogie’ Rogers (20) of Romney Ground and Junior ‘Cue’ Sobratie (27) of Crab Hill – all of Sandy Point.
Following yesterday’s formal arrest and charge of the three suspects, Police Press and Public Relations Officer Inspector Vaughan Henderson had said that the fourth person in police custody (Williams) was likely to be charged and a warrant was out for a fifth suspect.
Henderson expressed the High Command’s satisfaction in the diligent and swift manner in which the investigation was conducted and their commendation to those members of the public who provided invaluable information that led to the arrest of the four suspects.
“This is truly a proud moment for all police officers, members of the High Command and everybody in St. Kitts and Nevis. Investigators in the Sunday 14th robbery of the tour bus on the road in Sandy Point have been working tirelessly on this matter and they ought to be commended for making such speedily arrests. The High Command, in particular, wish to thank members of the general public for their overwhelming support during the days of the investigation of this matter.”
On Sunday, November 14, 2010, while 17 cruise ship tourists (including a baby) were aboard a coaster tour bus on their way to visit the Brimstone Hill Fortress National Park, a large branch from a tree was placed across the access road in the vicinity of Lime Kiln to impede the smooth flow of traffic.
The driver exited the tour bus to remove the branch, but while doing so two armed, masked men approached him and he ran from that area to a nearby gas station, from where he notified the police of the incident.
While he was away from the scene, the gunmen robbed the tourists of an undisclosed sum of money, cellular phones, jewellery and other personal items.
This unprecedented and callous act has resulted in nation-wide condemnation and a call for swift solvability by the police. It also led to the cancellation of two cruise ships’ calls to Port St. Kitts on Tuesday (Nov. 16) and the following day.
