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The suspected thief after he was caught and tied up by citizens
A man who is suspected of breaking into a house in Anse Ger, Desruisseaux early Sunday, March 26, is now in police custody after the would-be victims, with the help of neighbours, carried out a swift citizen’s arrest last night when he tried his luck a third time.
Marciana James said the suspect turns out to be someone she knows very well.
“His grandmother is my godmother,” she said. “Sometimes he comes here and asks for things, food, chicken and I give it to him. If I don’t have food I give him the money to buy something.”
The suspect is at the Micoud Police Station awaiting an identification parade before he is charged, police told St. Lucia News Online.
James, who was already alert after her house was burglarized almost four days ago and an attempted break-in last month, said between 10 p.m. and 11 p.m. last night, she heard strange sounds and went to investigate.
When she peered through the window, she noticed a male figure moving towards the balcony. One of the dogs were barking and the other three dogs were playing with each other.
She said the less-than-aggressive behaviour of dogs suggested that the animals know the suspect.
“He was close to the balcony gate… but you couldn’t see his face because I don’t have lights in my balcony, so when he tried to open the gate the dog started to bark and he went to the side and back to downstairs. And I was watching the movements, how the dog was barking,” James recalled.
James, who was home with her daughter and her two grandchildren, made a bold move.
“I opened the door… and tell the person you have four women inside of the house, come for them, come and meet them.”
The unemployed mother said it was frustration that led her to open the door.
She explained: “I opened my door because you see me, I was tired…. I opened the door and I tell the person come in, because trust me if he come in I coulda die but he woulda die too…. But every day like that? I can’t take on that. I leave the door open and he didn’t come and I called… neighbours around and I tell them there is a thief downstairs. So I come outside, followed the track, all of them (neighbours) followed the track, and when he saw me, he run down the track and that’s where they hold him…. About 20 yards from my home they get him.”
James was surprised that someone she has helped on several occasions would do that to her.
“When they tied him, I said you doing me that, you doing that?” she said.
She said when her bedroom was broken into on Sunday, the thief had a strange smell. The would-be burglar caught last night had the same smell, she said.
James said she and her daughter, who were home on Sunday, when the incident occurred, lost 400 Euros and EC$200 with coins, along with a chain.
She is still in disbelief that someone she knows so well would do that to her. She alleges that the man’s family is upset with her but she does not care as she intends to ensure the matter ends up in court.
James noted that her blood pressure went “sky high” and her nose bled after Sunday’s robbery.
Last month, she believes it was the same person who tried to open another bedroom window last month. Her eight-year-old was in the bedroom at the time.
James said she is not sure if he was beaten when caught. She is ust concerned that the money stolen on the weekend was to pay her bills and she is not sure how she is going to manage.
“If they beat him I would’ve been happy because people don’t do these things like that…. If you want a few dollars you could’ve asked me, I would have given it to you…. You leave me without paying my bills because that money was from my child’s boyfriend, it is for me because my money for my bills I gave it to her.
“That time he enjoying my money, enjoying drinks with friends and I myself there like a dog, nothing to do, bills can’t pay…. I don’t care, mother can vex, father can vex, I don’t care. If they don’t want it go far they have to pay me my money,” she said.
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