A trip to a casino quickly transformed into a frightening ordeal for an elderly American couple who were held up at gunpoint by two masked gunmen moments after they walked out of the Cable Beach casino, said police.
The 85-year-old woman and 83-year-old man were walking along West Bay Street when they were approached by the gunmen around 2:46 yesterday morning, said Assistant Commissioner of Police Glenn Miller.
“The American nationals had just left the Cable Beach Casino when they were held up by the two men who took the woman’s handbag which contained her driver’s license, credit cards and about $250 in cash,” said Miller.
He said the gunmen escaped the scene on foot in an unknown direction. Miller said police believe the visitors, who are from Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, were heading back to their room at a hotel in the area when they were robbed.
While the elderly couple were reportedly shaken up by the incident, police said there where no reported injuries.
Miller said that due to the robbery, police will be stepping up patrols in the area.
“I can tell you that we are certainly looking at this area,” he said, “We are looking at increasing visibility in that area. But we do know that police were on the Cable Beach strip, it just so happens that they were not in the area of the couple at the time.
“So somehow [the gunmen] saw their opportunity and took advantage of if. It’s just one of those unfortunate incidents where someone saw they had a couple seconds to do something and were able to get away before we were able to arrest them.”
The robbery of the American couple was not the only one reported to police early yesterday morning.
Miller also reported that two local women, had just arrived at their Pine Yard Road home around 2:45am, when they were approached by masked gunmen.
Miller said the women reported that both men, who were armed with silver handguns, demanded cash. The gunmen robbed the women of $85 in cash and three cellular phones before escaping in an unknown direction.
Anyone with information on the cases is asked to contact police at 919, Crime Stoppers at 328-TIPS or the Central Detective Unit at 502-9991.
By: Jasmin Bonamy
Nassau Guardian
