PHILIPSBURG -- The man arrested for gunning down gas station attendant Gerard Saulveur on Monday night had been released from prison for good behaviour.

 

The suspect, B.D. (22), born in St. Maarten, was in prison nine months ago for another crime. He is now back behind bars as one of two suspects in the killing of Saulveur.

 

D. was shot in the leg by police in the vicinity of Cost-U-Less on October 6, 2014, as he tried to evade arrest. He was sentenced earlier this year and was released in March.

 

He was one of two occupants of a grey Kia who had threatened someone in St. Peters with a firearm. Police had spotted the vehicle on L.B. Scott Road and chased it into the Cost-U-Less parking lot. D. pointed a gun at police officers, causing one of the officers to fire a single shot into the vehicle’s side door.

 

D. then ran away through the neighbourhood and was shot in the leg by police after several warning shots were fired. Police arrested him after the short chase.

 

The second suspect, R.R. (23), also from St. Maarten, was the driver of the black Hyundai i20.

 

Police spokesman Chief Inspector Ricardo Henson said: “When the first call came into the Emergency Dispatch it was reported that a fight was going on in Cole Bay. This turned out not to be the case, but an armed robbery had taken place during which a gas attendant was shot and lying on the ground not showing any signs of life. After committing this act the suspect fled on foot. Immediately police patrols, paramedics, detectives and Forensic Department were sent to the scene.”

 

While the investigation was ongoing at the Tackling gas station, another call came in to the Emergency Dispatch informing them of another armed robbery taking place at the Shell gas station in Simpson Bay. Immediately several patrols and detectives were sent to investigate that robbery.

 

The Sol gas station in Cole Bay remained closed on Tuesday and will open at 1:00pm today, Wednesday, according to management of the business. The staff of the establishment remains shocked about what happened to their long-time friend on Monday, as Saulveur was a long-time worker there.

 

“Compliments from the Police Force go out to those persons who had seen what had happened during both armed robberies and immediately shared this information with the Police Force. The information these persons have given to the police led to immediate arrest of two suspects and the confiscation of a black Hyundai i-20 which was used in the robbery, a firearm and undisclosed amounts of cash. The arrests took place on the Causeway Bridge in less than 25 minutes after the first call came in,” stated Henson on Tuesday.

 

The United People’s (UP) party headed by Member of Parliament (MP) Theo Heyliger has commended the police for “quick action” in the apprehension of the two suspects in the fatal shooting of the gas station attendant on Monday night. UP credited the enhanced police controls and more presence in the districts for the quick arrests.

 

UP also echoed the call by its deputy leader MP Franklin Meyers to Parliament Chairperson Sarah Wescot-Williams (Democratic Party) to reconvene the urgent meeting of the Central Committee of Parliament with the Justice Minister on crime measures.

 

The Daily Herald