Latest update January 20th, 2025 4:00 AM
Teenaged bandits rob Sophia internet cafe
The owner Arlington Heyligar (centre) confronts two South Sophia youths
Two teenaged bandits attacked an internet café at Dennis Street South Sophia shortly after 21:00 hours Thursday night and made off with $60,000 in cash and a laptop computer.
The two men, according to Susan Newport, rode up on a bicycle out of A Field South Sophia and entered the internet café. Immediately they held up the owner, remigrant Arlington Heyligar and proceeded to demand money.
The internet cafe
Heyligar, 60, returned from the United States three years ago having remigrated and immediately set up business in the community.
He said that Thursday night’s attack was the second. He was shot in the shoulder the first time because he did not have money to give to the bandits.
This time, there was a cashier, Michelle Williams and the gunmen targeted her. Newport said that when she heard Heyligar scream she ventured toward the internet café to see one of the gunmen holding Heyligar at gunpoint.
The second teen emerged from the café and asked her where she was going. She said that when she refused to answer the man pulled out a gun and pointed it at her.
Ironically, the police were passing at the same time. They later said that they saw her standing outside the café but they thought that she was in conversation with the man in front of her.
She said that she heard when the gun snapped inside the café and she later saw the gunman coming out with the computer, which he placed in a bag he was carrying. He and the accomplice then rode into A Field, Sophia.
When she entered the building she saw Heyligar picking himself off the floor and a distraught Michelle Williams.
Yesterday morning, Williams said that the men entered just as they were preparing to close.
One of them pretended to buy a C-point then whipped out the pistol, which he pointed at Heyligar and attempted to discharge a round.
For his part, Heyligar said that the gun, which he described as a revolver, might have been empty, but he was not prepared to take a chance.
Williams said that the money represented the takings for the day.
She said that when the bandits had left they called the police who responded about 30 minutes later. That was when they learnt that the police passed by at the time the robbery was being executed.
People in the vicinity said that within recent times gunmen out of A Field, South Sophia have been attacking any business in the area. In broad daylight they attacked the bakery outlet on the street, recently.
They have also struck at other locations in the area with seeming impunity.
Heyligar was angry that he has not been provided with a firearm licence.
He said that budding businessmen needed some protection.
When told that many licenced firearm holders lose weapons to the gunmen, he said that he would like to see who would disarm him.
He was undaunted yesterday, continuing as though nothing had happened but seething with anger at what he described as a persistent attack on him.
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