A 16-year-old boy is among three suspects charged in connection with a praedial larceny incident which occurred on May 7th in Mayaro, Trinidad and Tobago. The boy, who pleaded guilty to a series of offences arising from the incident, remains in custody as the court awaits a probation report.
The other accused, KADEEM JOHN, 22, and IKE FRANCIS, 27, of Claxton Bay and Guapo, respectively, who were jointly charged with the teen with the offences of Praedial Larceny, Being Found on Cultivated Lands and Resisting Arrest, also pleaded guilty when they appeared virtually before Mayaro Senior Magistrate (Ag.) Ava Vandenburg-Bailey.
The men were each fined $6,700; $1,200 for Resisting Arrest; $2,000 for Being Found on Cultivated Lands; and $3,500 for Praedial Larceny. They were charged on May 9th by PC Joseph of the Mayaro Criminal Investigations Department (CID).
They were held with 42 bunches of plantains from an estate along the Manzanilla Mayaro Road. The produce weighed 667 lbs totalling $6,670.
According to police reports, at 3.30 am on May 7th, Mayaro CID officers were on a sting operation when they saw suspicious activities happening at a plantain plantation.
The CID detectives subsequently took up strategic positions and further mounted a surveillance exercise. The lawmen then observed the group of men carrying plantains and placing them in a white Almera motor vehicle.
The police officers swooped down on the suspects, who began running in different directions. They were later cornered, and a struggle ensued. Police later arrested the assailants. Following further investigations, they were jointly charged with the offences.
