BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – AFTER almost two months since a massive manhunt was launched for the eighth suspect in the November 14, 2010 Brimstone Hill tourists robbery, law enforcement officers have failed to capture Curtis Long.
According to Police Press and Public Relations Officer, Inspector Vaughan Henderson, police are still searching Long of Sandy Point “for his involvement in the November 14, 2010 armed robbery of a number of persons aboard a tour bus at Sandy Point”.
“Police launched a massive manhunt in search of Long in February of this year, but he has since managed to evade capture. Officers in the District ‘B’ area have in their possession seventeen warrants in the first instance for Long’s arrest,” Henderson added.
The 25-year-old St. Kitts-born Long is said to be a resident of Downing Street, Sandy Point. He weighs 150 pounds, dark in complexion and is five feet 10 inches tall.
Henderson said Long was recently seen in the New Guinea/Godwin Ghaut area and is considered armed and dangerous.
“Please note that Long may have cut his hair or changed his normal style to disguise his appearance. Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Curtis Long please call 911 for Emergency, 465-6261/465-9467 for Sandy Point Police Station or contact the nearest police station,” Inspector Henderson said.
Henderson indicated that although the robbery took place over five months ago, investigations are ongoing and the police would leave no stone unturned.
Long has been the eighth suspect fingered in the tourists’ robbery.
On Thursday, February 3, 2011, George ‘Naddy’ Welsh of Fig Tree and Delvin ‘Stoby’ Francis of St. Paul’s Village were arrested and charged on 16 warrants in the first instance for aiding and abetting as a commission of the said robbery.
They were remanded to Her Majesty’s Prison, where they have joined 29-year-old Elroy ‘Stanny’ Williams of Crab Hill, Adminston Lewis (23) of Crab Hill, Devon ‘X Man’ Hodge (28) of The Alley, Grenville ‘Rogie’ Rogers (20) of Romney Ground and 27-year-old Junior Sobratie, all of Sandy Point.
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 incident had made headline news in the international media and had resulted in the cancellation of two cruise ships’ calls to Port St. Kitts on November 16 and 17, 2010.
