Police Warn Residents to Be Vigilant After Daylight Jewelry Snatchings

Police are warning residents to take extra precautions when wearing valuable jewelry in public following two separate daylight robberies reported on Friday in which victims were stripped of thousands of dollars’ worth of gold jewelry.

According to the Royal Police Force of Antigua and Barbuda, both incidents were reported to the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) on May 29 and are currently under investigation.

The first incident occurred around 1 p.m. on Campbell Road in Ottos. A woman reported that she was walking in the area when an unknown man approached her, grabbed her hand and forcibly removed two gold wristbands valued at approximately EC$4,000 before fleeing on foot.

The suspect was described as light in complexion, slimly built and wearing a black hat.

Just two hours later, another robbery was reported in Sutherlands. A man told police that he had just left his home and was walking toward his vehicle when two men allegedly snatched a 14-karat gold chain valued at about EC$5,000 from around his neck.

The suspects reportedly escaped on foot. One was described as approximately 5 feet 11 inches tall, brown in complexion, medium-built and sporting low-cut hair. The second was said to be about 5 feet 7 inches tall, dark in complexion, weighing roughly 170 pounds and wearing a black T-shirt and multi-coloured shorts.

The incidents have prompted police to urge members of the public to remain alert and avoid unnecessarily displaying expensive jewelry and other valuables in public spaces.

Police are also calling on jewelry store owners, pawn shop operators and businesses involved in the purchase and sale of precious metals to be on the lookout for suspicious transactions involving gold jewelry and to report any concerns immediately.

Investigations into both incidents are ongoing.

Anyone with information that may assist police is asked to contact the CID at 462-3913 or 462-3914, call the anonymous Crime Stoppers hotline at 800-TIPS (8477), or dial 911.