Nathaniel Alexander Bowen, Jr., who lives near Mile 12 on the Western Highway, appeared in the #1 Magistrate’s Court this afternoon, where Chief Magistrate Margaret Gabb-McKenzie arraigned him on twelve charges relating to a robbery that occurred at the Sandhill Gas Station and Grocery Shop on May 6, 2007. Bowen is charged along with another person, whom police have not yet apprehended.
Before she read the lengthy list of charges, the Chief Magistrate explained to Bowen that no plea would be taken from him, because the charges that are before the court are all indictable matters and that at some point in the future, there would be a preliminary inquiry to determine if the matters will be heard in the Supreme Court.
Gabb-McKenzie also told Bowen that her court could not offer him bail, because of the nature of the offences for which he is charged.
Having established those basic ground rules, the Chief Magistrate then read the charges. Bowen was charged with one count of aggravated assault upon Calbert Murillo; one count of use of deadly means of harm against Bow Tang Wang, 56; and use of deadly means of harm against Calbert Murillo.
To these were added three charges for attempted murder. According to the prosecutor, Bowen attempted to murder Bow Tang Wang, Andrew Baptist and Calbert Murillo. There is also a charge against him for dangerous harm to Calbert Murillo.
In addition, Bowen was charged with two counts of attempted robbery against Jing Wang, and Bow Tang Wang, one count of harm to Andrew Baptist and one count of dangerous harm to Bow Tang Wang.
Finally, Bowen was charged with use of deadly means of harm against Andrew Baptist.
The Chief Magistrate has set June 12, 2009, as the date when Bowen is to return to court.
On the evening of Wednesday, May 6, around 7:00, police received information about a robbery at Sandhill Gas Station, located at Mile 16 ½ on the Northern Highway.
When police arrived, Jing Wang, 29, told them that while she was in the cashier section of the gas station, along with her father, Bow Tang Wang, 56, and three male customers, two dark- complexioned young men with warm caps over their heads entered.
One of the men was tall and slim, while the other man was short and stout. The slim person ordered a bottle of Campari, and whilst her father was in the process of serving him, the other man pulled out a short black firearm and pointed it at him.
She managed to escape to the back of the building and retrieved a pump 12-gauge shotgun. But while she was at the back of the building, she heard several gunshots. When she returned to the front, she saw her father bleeding from a wound over his right eye. Calbert Murillo, a customer, was bleeding from two wounds, one to the right and the other to the left arm, and Andrew Baptist, another customer, was grazed on the left part of his upper back. The two robbers escaped without taking anything.
Police are still searching for the second robber.