The young man arrested last Thursday as the alleged perpetrator of the violent robbery at a jewelry store in Arrecife has already been admitted to the Tahíche prison. After his arrest, he was brought before the court over the weekend, and the Court decided to send him to provisional prison.
As for the other two people arrested by the National Police, as alleged accomplices in the robbery, the judge decided to release them on charges, pending trial.
The main defendant, who allegedly entered the jewelry store and shot two people, is charged with robbery with violence and could also be held accountable for two alleged counts of attempted murder. Although fortunately, he did not cause serious injuries, he shot the owners of the store, one of them 65 years old and in a wheelchair.
After his arrest, the two victims identified the detainee as the perpetrator of the robbery. According to the National Police, he is about 20 years old and South American.
An "alarming" event
The robbery at this jewelry store caused great alarm on the island, as it is the first to leave people injured by firearms. The event took place last Tuesday, in a jewelry store located in Arrecife, between Blas Cabrera and Argentina streets.
Two of the owners, who are siblings, were in the store. She was shot in the arm, and he was shot in the buttock. Both were taken by ambulance to the Molina Orosa Hospital, although they were discharged shortly after.
This same establishment has already suffered eight robberies in recent years, and two of them with violence. The last most serious one occurred in November 2012, when three hooded men entered the establishment with knives and a wrench, intimidating the employees.
On that occasion, they also confronted the robbers, activating the alarm and managing to uncover the face of one of them. This precipitated their escape and also allowed the assailant to be identified later, thanks to the security cameras in the store.
