Porter remanded for snatching US Coast Guard’s purse
Remanded: Alvin Archer (White jersey sitting in Police vehicle
A man who is no stranger to the courts and who was recently charged with armed robbery was on Wednesday remanded to prison for snatching a US Coast Guard’s purse.
28-year-old Alvin Archer, a porter, of 2093 Diamond Housing Scheme East Bank Demerara, appeared before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.
It is alleged that on June 20, 2021, at Croal Street, Georgetown, he stole from the person of Melissa Owens, a brown purse valued at $8,000, one apple iPhone 11 valued at $250,000, and $9,200, property of Owens. Archer pleaded not guilty to the charge after it was read to him.
Facts presented by the court prosecutor stated that Owens is a citizen of the United States and is a Military Officer with the United States Coast Guard who is presently in Guyana on a training exercise.
The court heard on the day in question, at around 10:30 hrs, the woman and her two colleagues were walking in the western direction on Croal Street, Georgetown when Archer emerged from a crowd of men who were playing cards on the pavement.
He then grabbed the woman’s purse containing the articles mentioned in the charge and attempted to run into the crowd. Owens, however, gave chase behind him. He was later apprehended by a Police patrol passing on Avenue of the Republic, Georgetown.
Owens’ purse was discovered after Archer dropped it on the ground. He was arrested and taken to the station.
The Police prosecutor objected to bail being granted to Archer citing that he has similar charges before the court. He was remanded to prison until July 7, 2021.
Last March, Archer was jointly charged with another man and remanded for robbing a woman of her phone. He appeared before Principal Magistrate Sherdel Isaacs-Marcus in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.
It was alleged that on March 18, at Dowding Street, Georgetown, while being armed with a pair of scissors, they robbed Terence Bouyeau of one Samsung J2 prime cellphone valued at $30,000 along with one memory card valued at $2000 and a Digicel SIM card valued at $2000.
Archer had also pleaded not guilty to this charge.
According to reports, Bouyeau was on his way home, when he was allegedly approached by Archer and his accomplice who were both armed with a pair of scissors
Archer reportedly dealt Bouyeau two stabs while Grenville relieved him of his cellphone. The man later alerted a nearby Police patrol and the two men were arrested and taken into custody.
