Guns barked in Runaway Bay, St Ann in the wee hours of Friday morning when police confronted thieves who were making off with loot from one of the latest scenes of break in and robbery in the Runaway Bay, Dumbarton and Discovery Bay triangle.
Over the last several weeks there have been numerous break ins and robberies, mainly of household and electronic equipment, cash and personal effects in the communities of Queens Highway, Sea Crest in Discovery Bay, Dumbarton, Cardiff Hall and other communities in Runaway Bay itself.
Detectives are not sure that the same men or sets of thieves are involved but they have been putting in hours following leads. It is clear, they say, that some of the thieves have been operating with a car that has been identified by police and in some cases they steal vehicles from the places they break into.
- Restaurant & Bar One of the earliest robberies in the spate of thefts over the last four weeks was at a bar and restaurant near Bengal on the Queens Highway, near the border with Trelawny. There, in the early evening men pretending to have been having problems with their car, held up the bar, tied up patrons and gun butted the bartender. They stole liquor, cash and the valuables of the people there.
- COP’S HOUSE
Among the homes broken into two weeks ago was that of a policewoman who had left only for a few hours for a medical appointment. Several electronic items were stolen. (See list in associated story).
The home of an attorney was also broken into. She was not harmed but her car was stolen as were valuables. Two homes have been hit in the Dumbarton areas in the last two weeks. Again, no one was home but the robbers took large numbers of items including appliances, electronic items, cash, and food and liquor.
In many of the break-ins no one was at home.
ESCAPE
- In the one where police got close to the thieves last week Friday morning, the home of a medical doctor was broken into at about 3 o’clock. The thieves apparently believed no one was in but a caretaker was at the house. He was tied up while the men emptied the house. They had come in a car but also used a van that was at the house to move some of the items.
The caretaker got away and ran to the nearby Runaway Bay police station where he alerted the police. Police intercepted the van and a shootout reportedly ensued. The men fled leaving behind the loot and some of their own personal items. No one was hurt.
INDECOM has since investigated and swabbed the hands of police said to be involved in the shootout.
But police have not found the thieves and gunmen.
One police source said the robberies in the Discovery Bay, Dumbarton and Runaway Bay areas resemble those that were taking place for weeks in Alexandria to Cave Valley region, further south in the parish over July and August. It appears police flushed those robbers out after several operations and increased patrols.
STOLEN
Here is a list of some of the items stolen from several breakins over the last several weeks. If you have been approached or are approached about any of the items or notice men around with extra money, or goods, all of a sudden you should call the police. Purchasing stolen items is a crime.
- Flat Screen television sets
- Lap Top computers
- Tablets
- Cell phones
- Modem
- Chain Saw
- Stand by generator
- Power Wash
- Entertainment System
- Men’s and women’s clothing
They have also stolen food including flour, canned sausage, corned beef, bottled drinks, alcoholic beverage including Guinness and Heineken and bottled liquor.
