Porter who snatched US Coast Guard’s purse remanded

Twenty-eight-year-old Alvin Archer, who had previously been charged with armed robbery, was on Wednesday remanded to prison after he allegedly stole several items from a US Coast Guard.

A porter of Diamond, East Bank Demerara, Archer was arraigned before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan, before whom he pleaded not guilty to the charge, which alleged that on June 20, 2021, at Croal Street Georgetown, he stole from the person of Melissa Owens one brown purse valued at $8,000, one apple iPhone 11 valued at $250,000, and cash in the sum of $9,200, property of Owens.
The Police Prosecutor told the court that the virtual complainant is a US citizen who is enlisted in the United States Coast Guard and is currently in Guyana for a training exercise. On the day in question, the woman and two of her colleagues were walking along Croal Street, Georgetown when Archer emerged from a crowd and into their path.
Archer then snatched the woman’s purse containing her cell phone and other valuables before running back into the crowd, but Owens gave chase after him. The defendant was eventually apprehended by Police ranks on patrol duty at Avenue of the Republic, Georgetown.
Surrounded by armed Police ranks, Archer dropped the woman’s purse, but was later escorted to the Brickdam Police Station.
The Police Prosecutor objected to Archer being released on bail on the basis that he has similar charges before the courts. The accused thief has thus been remanded to prison, and the case has been adjourned to July 7.
In March 2020, Archer and another man appeared in court on a robbery-under-arms charge alleging that on March 18, 2020, at Dowding Street, Kitty, Georgetown, he and Jermaine Grenville, while being armed with a pair of scissors, robbed Terrence Bouyeau of a Samsung J2 prime cellphone valued at $30,000, together with a memory card and a SIM card.
They both denied the charges.
The court was told that on the day in question, Bouyeau, a truck driver, was heading home when he was accosted by Archer and his alleged accomplice. While Archer stabbed the man, Grenville relieved him of his cell phone.
Following the ordeal, the virtual complainant alerted nearby Police ranks, who apprehended the men. They were searched and the cell phone was allegedly found on Grenville. (G1)