Two businesses have been robbed in Gatesville in the past five weeks.
One man was arrested after a robbery at
Jayvee’s Jewellers at Gatesville Centre last Monday, March 13, at about 11am.
The shop’s owner, who wanted to remain anonymous, said three men brought in a watch to have a new strap refitted.
The men said they would be back in half an hour as they needed to fetch money to pay him.
They returned as he was leaving the shop to go to the airport.
“They came in and I gave them the watch. One of them stood at the gate and another guy came around the counter with a gun and gave me a bag to put the stuff in but I refused,” he said.
He then pushed the guy out of the way and ran outside and shouted to the people in the street who then all came running. The guys ran out of the shop and made their way to their getaway vehicle, a gold Golf.
“Two guys jumped into the car and the one guy was still running, they drove off and the police started chasing the one guy and arrested him,” he said.
The owner got some of his jewellery back. The shop was last robbed in 1981.
“We need more police presence in the area. Luckily law enforcement was there and one guy was caught,” he said.
Athlone police station confirmed the robbery and that one man was arrested.
Pie City in Gatesville was robbed on Thursday February 16.
Shop manager Rushda Jaffry said the area needs proper police visibility especially for shops that open early in the morning.
“It’s a bit risky because we open early in the morning at 6am. We had a break- in a few weeks ago where they broke the door and stole frozen pies and Jive cooldrinks. They couldn’t break the door open so they came back on the Thursday morning and took the door off the railing,” she said.
Ms Jaffry said they need policing in the morning and not as much in the afternoon because the shops close early.
“Because they broke the door I have to now come through the middle door so by the time I come in and switch the alarm off anyone can come in before I Iock up again. I have to ask someone to stand at the door until I deactivate the alarm,” she said.
Fowzia Deerasamy, chairperson of the Gatesville Neighbourhood Watch, confirmed the robbery. “There has been many robberies in the area, this is not the only robbery,” she said.
