Man shot dead in Tuschen attack was linked to multiple robberies

The man killed during the armed robbery of a Chinese restaurant owner at Tuschen Housing Scheme, East Bank Essequibo, on Friday night has been identified as accused serial robber Mark Prince, who was part of a gang of five that included a member of the Joint Services.

Prince, who was pronounced dead on arrival at the Leonora Cottage Hospital, was fatally shot by a licensed firearm holder outside of the apartment of the restaurant owner, located at Lot 695 Tuschen New Housing Scheme, while three of his alleged accomplices were later held at a police roadblock. Prince, said to be armed with a cutlass, reportedly attacked the firearm holder.

One of his alleged accomplices, identified as a 23-year-old of Buxton, was also shot by the man and is now a patient at the Georgetown Public Hospital in a stable condition.

The other alleged accomplices were identified by police as a serving member of the Joint Services, a 20-year-old unemployed male of Herstelling, East Bank Demerara, and a woman.

Divisional Commander Simon McBean told Sunday Stabroek that the woman, whose identity is known, is being sought for her alleged role in the robbery.

While police said Prince, who was also known as ‘Fine man,’ had no fixed address, based on records from the city courts and a wanted bulletin that had been issued for him, he previously resided at Lot 169 James and Curtis streets, Albouystown and Lot 22 La Parfaite Harmonie, West Bank Demerara. He was said to have been a taxi driver.

The robbery occurred around 9 pm.

In a statement issued yesterday, police identified the victims of the attack as Guang Hong Wang, a female Chinese national , 43, who is the proprietor of 5 Star Restaurant, which is located in front of her apartment, and Navindra Lakahalall, 37, of Zeelugt New Housing, Scheme, East Bank Essequibo, a customer, who was also robbed.

Police have determined that two of the robbers posed as customers at the restaurant.

One of the male suspects and the woman, police said, entered the restaurant and purchased two beers, which they drank, and they then ordered a case of beer.

Guang was in the process of delivering same to them when the man whipped out a gun and proceeded to rob her and Lakahalall, while the three other suspects who entered the premises.

Lakahalall was tied up, while Guang was taken to her apartment.

According to the police, the licensed holder, who lives nearby, heard the commotion and immediately went to investigate and was attacked by the robber with the gun and another, believed to be Prince, who was armed with a cutlass. As a result, the police said he was forced to discharge several rounds in their direction, after which four suspects fled the premises in a car, PTT 8606, which was parked nearby, leaving the wounded  Prince at the scene.

The police were summoned and the getaway vehicle was intercepted at a road block on the public road in front of the Den Amstel Police Station. Three men, including the Buxton suspect who was in the back seat and had what appeared to be a gunshot wound, were in the vehicle.

An unlicensed pistol with an empty magazine was found in the vehicle and a sum of cash and cellular phones were found on the persons of the suspects.

Police added that the suspect at the scene, who was found motionless with a suspected gunshot wound to the neck, had a cutlass in his right hand and a haversack on his back. A search of his person revealed the sum of $130,000.

‘Strange’

Meanwhile, the licensed firearm holder, who asked not to be named, said he decided to check on his neighbours after he heard an unusual conversation coming from their apartment.

“…I heard a male voice speaking in English next door. I found it strange since the woman and man there usually communicate in Chinese and at that hour she would not have any other male in her home. She was telling the male person something about money and she went to town and she doesn’t have any money,” he recalled.

The man told Sunday Stabroek that he decided to visit Guang’s apartment and after he did not see her, he called out but got no response. It was at this point he was greeted by one of the bandits and he fired a shot at the person.

After opening fire on the bandit, the man said he retreated and sought cover behind the door to Wang’s apartment. “They started to shout ‘Kill da man! Kill da man!’ And I was crouching by the door and he approached me and fire a chop and I shot him and maybe hit him once or twice and he fell to the ground and I run at the back of the building. A female and one or two more guys ran out but I didn’t get to see them face…” he related.

He added further that he stayed behind the apartment for a short period before enquiring the whereabouts of the bandits. He said after he emerged, he saw the suspects making their way out of the yard.

He said he walked up to the gate and the bandits opened fire on him. He returned fire but they managed to escape.

“An individual told me they boarded a car and while waiting on the police, a black Bluebird was passing and the person shout that was the car. I jumped in another car that was in front of my premises and followed them out on the road and I called the police,” he further related.

The eyewitness said he followed the car until they were intercepted at Den Amstel. It was at the roadblock he discovered that and one persons was injured and had a gunshot to one of his shoulders.

High-profile

Prince had been charged with several high-profile robberies.

Prince was among six men who were charged in April, 2018, after the attempted robbery of a Supply, East Bank Demerara poultry farmer, who like Guang was a Chinese national. Prince was also charged with unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition after he and his co-accused were held in a stolen car at a roadblock.

He had been charged two months prior with robbing a pastor of $1.8 million in a November, 2017 attack, which took place after the victim left a city bank.

Prince was also charged in 2017 with the robbery of two men in separate attacks that were carried out shortly after they withdrew large amounts of cash from city banks.

In 2016, Prince was charged over a Bel Air Park home invasion in which he was shot. It was alleged that he and others invaded the Bel Air Park home in November 2015.  He was allegedly shot by owner of the home.

Later that year, police issued a wanted bulletin for Prince. At that time he was wanted for questioning in relation to armed robbery.

In 2015, he was charged with trafficking cannabis and possession ammunition after a police raid of his home allegedly uncovered the illegal articles.