– Tuschen woman robbed in public bus

Sherwin Lewis, of no fixed place of abode, was on Monday remanded to prison after pleading not guilty to a series of armed robberies committed against several persons during the course of the past two weeks. Guyana Times understands that the man has been creating havoc on the West Coast of Demerara and other villages along the East Bank of Essequibo (EBE) and has managed to elude the authorities for some time now, until he was apprehended on Saturday night.

His latest victim was Gangadai Persaud, a businesswoman of Tuschen, EBE. This newspaper understands that on Friday, August 21, Persaud boarded a minibus in Georgetown on her way home to Tuschen. She happened to sit right next to Lewis in the minibus, whom she later learnt is a known bandit.

Reports indicate that as Persaud was about to exit the minibus to make way for another passenger to disembark at Anna Catherina, the man snatched her handbag which contained a quantity of cash, a Guyana passport, which contained a valid US visa, and other personal items and made good his escape.

Eyewitnesses say that the man made a dash for an area where there are huge bushes and canals which would have made his escape easier. Even though a relentless chase by public spirited citizens in the area proved unsuccessful, the Police were able to apprehend the man on Saturday night as he was hiding out in another village.

A public spirited citizen found the bag containing the personal items, minus the cash, and has since turned it over to the Police. However, the bag along with all its contents was soaked as a result of the bandit jumping into the canals and trenches in a bid to escape. “Sherwin” as he is popularly known, is set to make another court appearance on September 18, for this and a series of other armed robbery matters.

Persaud related that even though the amount of money stolen is considered a huge sum, she is more concerned about her Guyana passport which also contained a valid US visa, both of which are now damaged by water. She said that she now has to start the process of reapplying for a new passport and also a US visa.

Meanwhile, residents in the area are calling for the Police on the West Coast of Demerara to take a more proactive approach to fighting various forms of criminality, as for several weeks now; bandits have been creating havoc in various villages, especially the new housing schemes. They are also calling for faster response times from law enforcement whenever they receive reports of crimes being committed in their communities.