Kizzyel Antoine had always thought that if she were victim of a robbery, she would fight off her assailant.
However, when two men came out of some bushes at Prospect around 9:30 p.m. Saturday and told she and her co-worker, “Give us everything!”, she felt no other impulse but to hand over her handbag and all its contents.
“I did not do anything. I did as they said. I did not even scream, knowing that there is a gun in your face. You can’t even brother to scream knowing that you don’t know if these guys are going to shoot you for no reason,” she told iWitness News.
Antoine, a chef at Hotel Alexandrina and her co-worker, bartender Kenrick Hazell, both of Lowmans Hill, said they were awaiting transportation to Kingstown when the robbery occurred.
Antoine told iWitness News that they were standing near Gitts Supermarket for about 15 minutes when two men came out of some bushes and robbed them.
She said that at first, as they heard the crackling sounds, they thought it funny that the men were coming out of the bushes.
“There was this drunk guy on the road and he had passed in front of us a couple times before and then went on his way…
“So we thought it was funny because we thought it was somebody drunk coming out of the bushes or something,” Antoine told iWitness News.
She said that when the assailants came out of the bushes, they were masked and had guns.
“They came to us and said, ‘Give us everything!’ So when we noticed the guns, we just handed our bags over.
“They took the bags and then one of them scuffled me and he was like, ‘Ah say, give me everything!’ I said, ‘Everything is in the bag.’ And he just took the stuff he went back in the same direction they came from.”
She said her handbag contained items for her daughter and her purse with all her bank cards, driver’s licences, etc.
Antoine’s purse also contained EC$250 in cash and some US currency while her co-worker’s bag contained EC$500 and US$100 in cash, in addition to his laptop and a computer hard drive.
After the robbery, Antoine and Hazell were at the spot where they were robbed for about two minutes before a van came.
She said the driver wanted to pursue the robbers but the conductor persuaded him not to, noting the potential danger in doing so.
Antoine said she and her co-worker reported the crime to the Calliaqua Police Station.
None of their possessions have been recovered so far.
She told iWitness News that the experience was “rather horrifying”.
“But I was more angry than actually frightened because knowing you just came from work at that hour and there are people willing to stick you up and take what you have.”
She said the areas where the robbery occurred was not “that bright” but there is a streetlight a little distance away.
Sadly, they probably will never see their things or the money again, (even if the police ever catch the thieves). Most robberies never make it to the press; it is an everyday thing in Saint Vincent. I do not know anyone who has not been robbed while living in Saint Vincent, mostly their homes have been robbed, few have been “held up”. but that is also high for such a small country
The more the government squeezes the people for taxes and Customs Duty and fees, the more tendency many have to commit robbery.
I have never been robbed (Thanks to God)… You must be a statistician and have access to all the data on SVG #sarcasm
People like you are the problem. Everything is some nonsensical opportunity to lay blame and play political football. People must take responsibility for their actions and stop blaming everyone else or someone else. The majority of people despite their circumstances do noy turn to crime.
I implore you take some time and introspect on the the chorus of Michael Jackson’s “Man in the mirror.”
…or maybe that’s too much to ask….
lostpet u are bent on blaming somebody for criminals behaviour .people commit crime , immoral and unethical acts not because of anything a government does. people thief because they are thieves, rapist rape because they are rapist , people kill , except in self defense because they are criminals . All them businessmen who jack up prices , refused to pay their taxes do so because of economics or because of GREED. People commit crime because of the state of their hearts , nothing else Poverty, poor economic conditions , growing up poor with a single parent are excuses criminals feed researchers with ton get their sympathy. Criminals are aware how gullible the so -called bright are , so they tell them what they want to hear.
…or how LOST some are…..
Incompetence at best, Jacket will soon escape the hangman .
Am not going back home again without a gun on me
The police shouls also lock up people who receive stolen goods also.
If there is no market, the leve of burglary will be decrease.
Yes. that’s a good idea!
My Major Concern is that Lawyers are goin to defend these Guys if get Caught n the penalties for for these Crimes Shoud b More Stiff they dnt wanna work jus robbin hard workin ppl
Is pepper spray illegal, if not the people should equip them self with some.
I may be wrong but I see more harm in publishing a photo and name of this young lady…
…guess, we hope that the criminals are not reading the news.
I often wonder the same thing. But, we maybe the only people who do.
Fully endorsed. Typical Lostpet always politicised everything.
I suggest that any of these robbers who will get caught by the authorities should lost one of their fingers. First offence is cut off the point finger so if he or she decide to rob again it will be hard for them to pull the trigger of their guns! 2nd offence is the thumb! untill they will loose all their fingers! And if we have cctv cameras in every street,it wouldve been much easier to catch these lazy thieves.
Robbery and Burglary is a common thing in St Vincent and the Grenadines at this present time.For a small Island is not a good look,for Vincentians,overseas retirees, Tourism and Investors.It is very hard when people get up every day and go to work and get robbed.Many times the robbers like to rob people who struggling and weak because they afraid the business men or women would shoot them. Nobody should live in fear and give power to these criminals.These crimes are usually commit by repeat criminal offenders.I blame the Judges of St Vincent and the Grenadines for giving these criminals short sentences . I blame the coastguard for not protecting our waters fully,guns are being imported illegally.I blame the parent or parents ,family members,friends who like the stolen goods from these criminals or condone the act and Vincy black market . Vincentians march for everything except crimes .Time for Vincentians to unite and march ,that these prisoners get longer prison sentence without appeal or probation.Vincy need to be safe.I hope ,Vincy crime rate do not reach uncontrollable.The only how that some Vincentians become concern is when they being attack or somebody they know being attack.Please Vincentians ,stand up and speak up.The Hoteliers need to get transportation for their workers when they work late night.Let St Vincent and the Grenadines be a safe place again.I would like to know if it is a disease these young boys have ,when they reach form 2, they drop out of Secondary School to lime on the block and become criminals.Why not stay in School and get your education.I understand there is not a Job for everybody .What about legit self-employment like farming .To the criminals remember when you play with fire you would get burn .Is only a matter of time.The almighty donot like ugly.
This matter should not be politicized because regardless of which side we support we all should want a civilized and crime free society to live in and grow our children..
On the other note government needs to take a hard look at overhauling the justice system and mainly the police force and hire more police to combat lawlessness in the country. Also they really should start to employ the defense force to do more active locally to serve a real purpose for their salaries. The coastguard and customs authorities need to be more hardline and vigilant for guns and traffickers of illegal weapons and people. These points are very fundamental to a lawful and stable society.