Victim overpowers bandit - hits him with gun

A ROBBERY victim overpowered one of his assailants, took away a shotgun, struck one of the bandits then contacted the police, who a short while after, held two thieves.

Police reports are that around 9.30pm Friday, Russel Fernandez, 31, was plying his taxi from Sangre Grande to Manzanilla. Fernandez is reported to have picked up five passengers. He dropped off three in various locations.  Two of the passengers, both males, remained seated in the backseat of Fernandez’s vehicle. One of the two men held up Fernandez  with a homemade shotgun.  They then took him out of his vehicle. One of the bandits held him at gunpoint, while the other stripped his car of various electronic items.  Fernandez was also robbed of $390. Police said Fernandez managed to overpower the armed man who was holding him, after which he took away the weapon, and struck the bandit.

Fernandez began to run and while running threw away the shotgun into some bushes.  He then contacted the Sangre Grande Criminal Investigations Depa-rtment (CID). A short while after, police said a party of officers headed by Cpl Christopher Fuentes and including PCs Nicholas Vialva, Ramesh Soodeen and Harry Sookdeo visited the scene and conducted investigations. Police said the officers received information and headed for a house at Cemetery Street, Manzanilla, where they found two 27-year-old men, one from Bon Air, the other from Foster Road, Sangre Grande. The men were positively identified by Fernandez and were later taken to the Sangre Grande Station. All of the stolen items were recovered. Police said they are to be charged with a number of incidents.