Bayview Oasis Restaurant and Bar is located at Mile 4 ½ on the Northern Highway; it’s a place to dine, imbibe and enjoy the atmosphere. But at 12:30 a.m. on Saturday, May 19, it “posed” as the perfect place to carry out a robbery.
Ricardo Marin, the owner of the establishment, reported that whilst inside the business with his employees, two dark-complexioned men entered the business, one of whom was carrying a sawed-off pump action shotgun; the other had a black 9mm pistol.
One of the assailants jumped behind the counter and hit Marin behind his head with a gun, and robbed him of his Bulova watch, valued at $1,000; a thick gold chain with a medal valued at $2,000; a Motorola cell phone valued at $400; and $1,950 BZ cash and $400 US cash – all totaling $6,150.
Marin was then taken to the storeroom, where another man was waiting. That person was wearing a black ski mask, a blue bullet-proof vest and was armed with a .38 revolver. They proceeded to search the room, and while in there, Marin reported that he heard three gunshots being fired.
Shortly after hearing the shots, police arrived on the scene and were able to detain the persons involved.
Other items stolen were: a Nokia cell phone valued at $100 from Jenny Mejia; an Alcatel cell phone valued at $350 from Amanda Zambrano; a Salco watch valued at $100 from Maribel Dubon; a wallet and $500 cash, a driver’s license, all totaling $550, from Jose Angel Dominguez.
The thieves also stole a Levi wallet and BZ$800; two Travellers’ Cheques valued at BZ$500, and a driver’s license, all totaling $1,580, from Reuben Munoz.
Today, three men were brought before Senior Magistrate Sharon Frazer to answer to six charges of robbery; they were Kenroy Gillett, Hugh Espat and Elmer Linarez.
Gillett, 26, a stevedore residing at #39 Racoon Street, Espat, 46, an unemployed electrician of #7066 Racoon Street Ext. and Linarez, 20, a construction worker of Mile 5 ½ Northern Highway, all pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Espat was also charged with one count of abetment to commit robbery, to which he pleaded not guilty as well.
Bail was not offered to any of them because the crime was committed with firearms; they were remanded to prison until their next court appearance on June 29, 2012.
It is of note that Gillett owed the court $455 for a drug possession charge to which he had pleaded guilty, and Espat owed the court $605 for a theft charge to which he had pleaded guilty, as well.
Both Gillett and Espat were represented in court by attorney Bryan Neal, who stated that Gillett was abused by police officers and that he was taken from the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital without his Medico Legal Form. Magistrate Frazer suggested that Gillett lodge an official complaint/report to the Internal Affairs Department of the Police Department.
Police, in their press release, mentioned that during the robbery, Linarez was shot in the right armpit and left shoulder; he was treated at the KHMH and released into their custody.