Chinese shop robbed, owner almost killed
A Chinese businessman is lucky to be alive tonight after a robber’s gun jammed. The incident at nine this morning at Wan Si Grocery Shop on Central American Boulevard is the latest in a string of attacks on small shops throughout the city over the past several weeks. News Five was on the scene just minutes after the two assailants fled on bicycles.
Thirty-four year old Wobo Zho had just left from behind the shop’s counter and was inside the bathroom when two unmasked Creole men, armed with guns entered the building. The men then cut a padlock off a door inside the shop to gain further access to the store. As the robbers entered the back of the store, they came face to face with the shop owner. Binny Sia, one of Zho’s friends told us what happened next.
Binny Sia
“He take two shots after the man. Right here but the man was lucky because the gun was jam. The boy come up with two guns on a bicycle. After that, they knock the man in his head with
the gun. The man fall down.”
As Zho fell to the ground, the men went into a back room and through the shop’s cash drawer took over four thousand dollars in cash. The robbers then rode off down Central American Boulevard. According to Sia the Chinese community is fed up with the recent robberies and violence against their people. According to Sia this latest attack on a Chinese shop is even more outrageous since it comes on the heels of a community meeting with Minister of National Security Jorge Espat on Wednesday night where the same issue was discussed at length.
Binny Sia
“Everytime you hear that, you will see that. They come shot the Chiney man, all kind of thing. Shoot the Chiney man all kind of thing because just yesterday we had meeting with the Minister. Today it happen again. Yesterday they shoot, they shot, they shoot the Chiney man again. The Chinese man lucky they did not catch him. Today, it is the second time now.”
It was the third time that Wan Si Grocery has been held up. According to the police they have no suspects at this time.
At Wednesday’s meeting with Minister of National Security Jorge Espat and Police Commissioner Ornel Brooks the Chinese community offered to donate a number of motorcycles and bicycles as well as over twenty thousand dollars to the Police Trust Fund to aid the department in their fight against crime. The Minister, Commissioner and Permanent Secretary Allan Usher also held meetings yesterday with the American Chamber of Commerce to discuss the Ministry’s policies and issues such as work permits, immigration and security.
