Would-be robbers kidnap
guard from gated estate
DAWN BEACH--A Dawn Beach Estates security guard was attacked and kidnapped early Wednesday during a robbery attempt that reportedly has raised fears among residents about rising crime.
Police reported that a security guard had been shackled with his own handcuffs and left bleeding near the area after four robbers tried to pry information from him. The armed and masked bandits, according to police and the security company’s management, attacked the guard at his outpost near the entrance of the gated community, assaulted him and took him off the premises in a vehicle.
Apparently, the guard was ambushed as he left his post to confirm the identity of the driver of a vehicle trying to enter the estate. Police found the guard during an “intensive search throughout the area” minutes after residents called to report screaming they had heard from near the entrance.
The guard was taken to St. Maarten Medical Center for treatment of injuries that included “wounds and cuts on his face,” police spokesman Chief Inspector Johan “Janchi” Leonard said in a written statement to the local media.
Checkmate Security Manager Michael Kuiperi said his guards were highly trained to resist criminal attempts and report crime, but the crooks had caught this security officer off-guard and had overwhelmed him with sheer numbers.
“They are trained to observe and detect the little things some people don’t see [height, tattoos, faces, accents and so on],” Kuiperi told The Daily Herald. “The element of surprise is what counts; before the guard can pick up the radio they [had him].”
Kuiperi confirmed that no guard had expressed unusual unwillingness to man his posts at night following the incident, saying they knew what they were getting into as security officers.
“[When these things happen] there is very little to do except follow their orders,” Kuiperi said, adding that guards were not allowed guns, so they were armed with nightsticks and excessive training. “These are highly training security officers who know the dangers of this business.”
Unconfirmed reports state that the estates’ homeowners’ association has met to discuss the incident.
