Girl, 15, charged with stealing American’s bag

A 15-YEAR-OLD student of Belmont Junior Secondary school was yesterday granted bail with a surety in the sum of $20,000 by a San Fernando magistrate before whom she appeared, charged with larceny of personal items from a citizen of the United States. 

The charge was laid indictably and the youthful defendant was not called upon to enter a plea, when she appeared before Magistrate Sonia Aleong in the San Fernando First Court. The alleged incident was said to have taken place on Wednesday at Hi-Lo Supermarket, Pointe-a-Pierre. The defendant is charged with unlawfully taking a bag belonging to American citizen Debra Reguardt, which contained US$60, TT$309, a purse valued at US$15, a wallet worth US$15, a US$7 cheque, a Texas State driver’s permit and a PriceSmart membership card. The alleged incident is said to have happened while the American was shopping at the supermarket.

The teen was subsequently held by a security guard at the supermarket and handed over to PC Hosein of the Marabella police station, who preferred the charge. The defendant’s attorney, Frank Arthur Seepersad, informed Magistrate Aleong that his client was a first-time offender. Court prosecutor Cpl Wendell Fernando did not object to bail being granted to the accused teenager and Magistrate Aleong obliged. On being questioned by Magistrate Aleong, the teen denied ever being kept at the St Jude’s Home for Girls.
The matter was adjourned to Wednesday.