Two arrested in shooting of farm worker
Two men have been arrested in connection with the March twenty-seventh shooting and robbing at a farm in Gardenia Village. Seventeen year old Kevin Dawson, a laborer of Gardenia and Erlin White, a twenty-eight year old mason of Sandhill, have both been charged with attempted murder, dangerous harm, use of deadly means of harm and burglary. After robbing the Kim Chee farm, the men shot farm worker Jermaine Rhaburn in his chest and left him for dead. News 5’s Jose Sanchez spoke to the young man about how he managed to not only survive, but help catch his assailants.
Jermaine Rhaburn, Gunshot Victim
“I went back to work 2:00 and I started working, when I heard somebody stoning the house top. I went to the front to see, they asked for “Bwayes”, and I told them he was not here. They sat there a little while then asked for some water. I gave them the water and they got up and went around through the bush. I though that they had left, so I continued working. The next thing I know, I saw two more came with him, one with a machete and the other with a gun. They held me face down on the ground and tied me up. They then put me in the generator room and they went and broke into the house. I heard them breaking things up and after that they came out said “We better try and call a taxi or something because we can’t catch the bus.” Then they said “Mek we see how he stands before we go.” Then the man just came to the door and bam (gunshot), and they ran off.”
Jose Sanchez
“You saw which one shot you?”
Jermaine Rhaburn
“The tallest dark one amongst them.”
Jose Sanchez
“Have you ever seen any of these guys before?”
Jermaine Rhaburn
“I saw two of the before, but the tall one that shot me, it’s the first time I saw him.”
Jose Sanchez
“How did you managed to survive being shot in the chest?”
Jermaine Rhaburn
“After they shot me I ran, I was there and for about a half hour I couldn’t move, my lower body was stiff. Afterwards it started feeling and I kicked off the boots I was wearing. After that one of the strings got slack where I could haul out one foot, and I stood up and started walking.”
Jose Sanchez
“Weren’t your hands tied up too?”
Jermaine Rhaburn
“Yes.”
Jose Sanchez
“So you got shot in your chest, two of your hands are tied and you still managed to make it? How far did you reach? Who helped you?”
Jermaine Rhaburn
“A police officer who lived about a quarter mile to half mile came to help me.”
Hospital officials say that Rhaburn’s lung was punctured and he will stay in the hospital for observation. Dawson and White were captured when police stopped the bus they were riding on. A third suspect managed to jump off the bus and escape into the nearby bush.
