The Portland police have laid multiple charges against four men in connection with separate robbery incidents in the parish between March 5 and March 10.
They’ve been identified as 31-year-old Joel Reid of Snow Hill District, Portland, Alrick Jones otherwise called ‘Jojo’ of May Pen Clarendon, 28-year-old Jermaine Phillips otherwise called ‘Bean’ and 37-year-old Shamar Townsend otherwise called ‘DJ’, both from Old Harbour St Catherine.
They’re being charged with Robbery and Aggravation, Possession of a Prohibited Weapon, Using a Firearm to Commit a Felony, Assault at Common Law and Receiving Stolen Property.
Reports are that about about 10pm on March 5, Phillips and Townsend entered a bar and pointed a firearm at a woman.
They proceeded to rob her $509,000 and made their escape.
A similar incident occurred on March 10.
The police say about 11:05pm, two masked men armed with handguns exited a white Toyota Probox motor vehicle and robbed a female bartender, who was closing up the bar.
The men robbed her of a Samsung cellular phone, assorted liquor, cigarettes and an undetermined sum of cash, while an unarmed man robbed a bystander of his cellular phone.
The men then exited the bar and made their escape.
The police later intercepted the vehicle which had a total of three men.
One of the stolen cellular phones was found in their possession and they were consequently taken into custody.
A series of police operations ensued which resulted in a quantity of liquor being recovered, the seizure of one Luger 9mm pistol with a magazine containing two 9mm cartridges and the arrest and charge of an additional man.
The four men were charged on Thursday following Identification Parades.
