On Monday morning two robbers may have gotten more than they bargained for when they jacked ten thousand dollars in mostly coins from RB’s Gas Station at the corner of Cemetery Road and Central American Boulevard. According to the gas station owner Renan Briceno eighty percent of the money had been collected from buses over a two day period. Briceno says around ten forty yesterday morning the cash and coins were loaded into two bags and then put into one green sling bag. According to Briceno, he and an employee John Conorquie then walked out of the main building, and that’s when they were held up by two armed men. Despite the heavy load, the suspects managed to run off with the loot, jumped into a taxi and escaped.
Briceno says this was their first big hit in two decades.
Renan Briceno, Gas Station Owner
“I’ve been here almost 20 years. This is the first time this has ever happened to me. We’ve had small incidents but this is the biggest thing, it is over $10,000.”
Jacqueline Godwin,
I understand you were about to get into your vehicle?
Renan Briceno,
“Yeah I was about to get in my vehicle when I saw two male persons of dark complexion coming. Instinct told me that they weren’t coming to me to say hi so I just walked in. But the money was already in the vehicle so we didn’t have time to get it out because it was heavy and that is when
the guys walked up to another employee of mine and put the gun on him and took the money.”
Jacqueline Godwin,
How much money?
Renan Briceno,
“It is over $10,000. I don’t remember exactly but its over $10,000.”
Jacqueline Godwin,
Mostly in coins?
Renan Briceno,
“Mostly at coins. I mean that thing is heavy and that guy ran like it was light. It was over 50 pounds I guess.”
Jacqueline Godwin,
Was this money you guys have been saving for over a period of time?
Renan Briceno,
“Yeah what happened it was actually about two days.”
Jacqueline Godwin,
Usually when a business conducts this kind of transaction it is not public knowledge, I mean no one would know what time you would be transferring this money to the bank so you believe this may have been an inside job, somebody may have been tipped off here?
Renan Briceno,
“It is hard to tell but what I can tell you is that yesterday when I was at the police station making the report they arrested a guy, a taxi that was apparently the getaway car and I knew the guy, the guy used to work for me a couple years ago. But that is all I know.”
Jacqueline Godwin,
Whether he is involved you don’t know but definitely his car was used?
Renan Briceno,
“That’s what they are alleging, that it’s his car. I didn’t see it so this is the information they got.”
Jacqueline Godwin,
How do you plan to recover from this, do you plan to step up security here?
Renan Briceno,
“Yeah of course I have to step up security. I have cameras, I have to put more cameras outside plus I have to get more guards and that’s what I am planning to do.”
Unfortunately there was no security camera outside the building and what was captured cannot help in the investigation. But with a quick response from the police, they intercepted a taxi whey they found only the driver identified as Jermaine Trapp who is detained. Meanwhile authorities continue to look for one Kevin Sutherland aka Kevin Bailey and another person.
