The
owner Arlington Heyligar (centre) confronts two South Sophia
youths
Two teenaged bandits attacked an internet café at Dennis
Street South Sophia shortly after 21:00 hours Thursday night
and made off with $60,000 in cash and a laptop computer.
The two men, according to Susan Newport, rode up on a bicycle
out of A Field South Sophia and entered the internet café.
Immediately they held up the owner, remigrant Arlington
Heyligar and proceeded to demand money.
The
internet cafe
Heyligar, 60, returned from the United States three years
ago having remigrated and immediately set up business in the
community.
He said that Thursday night’s attack was the second. He was
shot in the shoulder the first time because he did not have
money to give to the bandits.
This time, there was a cashier, Michelle Williams and the
gunmen targeted her. Newport said that when she heard Heyligar
scream she ventured toward the internet café to see one of
the gunmen holding Heyligar at gunpoint.
The second teen emerged from the café and asked her where she
was going. She said that when she refused to answer the man
pulled out a gun and pointed it at her.
Ironically, the police were passing at the same time. They
later said that they saw her standing outside the café but
they thought that she was in conversation with the man in
front of her.
She said that she heard when the gun snapped inside the café
and she later saw the gunman coming out with the computer,
which he placed in a bag he was carrying. He and the
accomplice then rode into A Field, Sophia.
When she entered the building she saw Heyligar picking himself
off the floor and a distraught Michelle Williams.
Yesterday morning, Williams said that the men entered just as
they were preparing to close.
One of them pretended to buy a C-point then whipped out the
pistol, which he pointed at Heyligar and attempted to
discharge a round.
For his part, Heyligar said that the gun, which he described
as a revolver, might have been empty, but he was not prepared
to take a chance.
Williams said that the money represented the takings for the
day.
She said that when the bandits had left they called the police
who responded about 30 minutes later. That was when they
learnt that the police passed by at the time the robbery was
being executed.
People in the vicinity said that within recent times gunmen
out of A Field, South Sophia have been attacking any business
in the area. In broad daylight they attacked the bakery outlet
on the street, recently.
They have also struck at other locations in the area with
seeming impunity.
Heyligar was angry that he has not been provided with a
firearm licence.
He said that budding businessmen needed some protection.
When told that many licenced firearm holders lose weapons to
the gunmen, he said that he would like to see who would disarm
him.
He was undaunted yesterday, continuing as though nothing had
happened but seething with anger at what he described as a
persistent attack on him.
Saturday, May 30, 2009