By RASHAD ROLLE
Tribune Staff Reporter
rrolle@tribunemedia.net
TWO men armed with guns robbed a pre-school while more than 100 students attended classes during the opening day of school yesterday.
The men went into Reality Educare Centre on Montrose Avenue around 1:45 pm and robbed the school within three minutes, a school official said.
One of the men assaulted a parent who was there to pay her child’s school fee.
School officials have not yet determined how much money was stolen.
When contacted for comment yesterday, an employee said: “This place is up in turmoil over this robbery.”
The Tribune understands that the students were not near the school’s front office when the school was being robbed.
The robbers, one teacher said, “had to be in their twenties”.
“The robbers,” she said, “stayed to the front of the school and the children probably didn’t know what was going on. The robbers weren’t enthused about going in the back of the school, they just came in and got out. There were about five customers there and six people overall in the front office. The robbers came through the door. One of them hopped over the counter and went straight to the manager and asked her to get all of the money. A teacher was coming through with money in her hand at that same time and he took the money from her. Then, he threw a customer on the ground and said ‘don’t look at me.’ They weren’t wearing masks. Emotions were extremely high. We feel they knew we were collecting fees from students and that’s why they came yesterday. They looked like the regular parent that would come through the door. There was no no indication that they were armed robbers.”
The teacher said: “Police showed up about five minutes after we called them. The school has cameras that the police are reviewing.”
School, she added, went on as normal after the incident yesterday and classes are expected to continue as normal today.
“I just feel like the government needs to do something about this crime,” shde said.
Comments
CommonSense 10 years, 3 months ago
Robbing pre-schools now? Surprised they didn't go and steal the children's backpacks and lunches. These criminals have no law. Now the school is put it an awkward position: Do they still make the parents that got robbed pay this month's tuition? Are they going to lose students because of this?
Bahamas ya out 'n bad!
Thinker 10 years, 3 months ago
Good people don't need laws. Too bad a security man at the school didn't take those dudes out with a shotgun.
CommonSense 10 years, 3 months ago
That's if the school even has a Security Officer! If they don't, I bet they'll get one now!
positiveinput 10 years, 3 months ago
No they may not loose students because the pre-school in Centerville that had the child wondering around in the neighboring store didn't nor did the home base one in Carmicheal corners back from the police station where the baby died from SIDS (so they say). However Bahamians are a strange bunch cause although this incident took place without involving the kids, its now the parents may act out. Oh and how come reality doing cash now, I remember standing the long bank lines and taking the pay stub back to the school 12years ago.
CommonSense 10 years, 3 months ago
That's odd but then again I'm sure that there are several schools that still don't have Security Officers because things like this aren't really common (not crime itself but persons robbing pre-schools). It seems as though criminals are now targeting "soft spots" that wouldn't have protection. Churches, pre/primary schools, corner stores, old folks homes etc. Every establishment should have some form of security measure in place. At least this school had cameras. Hopefully the Tribune will have that footage up before the end of the week.
GQ 10 years, 3 months ago
Thinker: Had the security man shot these pigs on two legs the bleeding heart lawyers would be doing their best to sue him for damages.
Thinker 10 years, 3 months ago
Not bleeding heart lawyers, you mean greedy inhumane lawyers.
TheMadHatter 10 years, 3 months ago
They won't do that because the thieves probably have connections in high places that will make sure they are kept safe.
TheObjectiveVoice 10 years, 3 months ago
NOw the pre-school I sent my children too has surveillance cameras in every nook and cranny of that school. I hope this school has the same kind of security. This should be an open and shut case.
TheMadHatter 10 years, 3 months ago
Hey people gotta eat. No jobs to make money for food - so to survive they find an alternative.
There was supposed to be a bunch of social services groups that got together about 2 months ago and started up a real organized feeding program for the poor. It was in this newspaper.
Haven't heard a word about it since. Haven't heard what their website is that lists all the feeding stations where poor people can go to get a bowl of soup.
Let's get that information out to the people so they can eat instead of robbing and killing to try to survive.
TheMadHatter
ThisIsOurs 10 years, 3 months ago
You say that first sentence sarcastically but oddly enough my friend was talking to some guys on the block two weeks ago and they told him exactly that, literally, "everybody eehn living like you, some people have to steal and sell their weed to survive".
On your 2nd point that is what social services should be doing...I don't know what the police believe UR is supposed to be from what BJN believed it should be to what PC believes it should be. But it's clear the person heading it, Mother Pratt, believes it's a social services program, a few weeks ago they assigned social service workers to work out of UR offices, isn't that backwards? If PC were serious about crime he would stop this UR nonsense and allow social services the resources they need to do a better job. But like everything else, Cuban crisis, crime numbers. Webshops, all they care about is optics, Government by Optics
TheMadHatter 10 years, 3 months ago
No it wasn't sarcastic. I know many people in both high and low places. Thing are very very tough for many. I wish all of Cabinet had to live like the lowest in our society for just one month - it might open their eyes. I said "might".
So can people go to UR offices and get FOOD? I don't mean food stamps or cheques they can use as the grocery store - I mean a WARM BOWL OF SOUP and maybe a Centrum vitamin to swallow ?
I'm sure they can't. Like I said in another post. The lowest people in society are just "X" Markers who sit on the sidelines waiting for their beer and chicken in 2017 as far as govt is concerned.
nassauboy 10 years, 3 months ago
People all over the world read these headlines. Im in Canada. Every day it seems a new story that would serve to convince potiential visitors to pick a new destination
John 10 years, 3 months ago
Maybe you should go with them..lol for real !
GQ 10 years, 3 months ago
Are these robbers part of the ten thousand jobs promised? Maybe the same can be applied to the murderers.
B_I_D___ 10 years, 3 months ago
10,000 jobs...BAHAHAHAHAHA...people really do buy into that crap...and I am not saying you did...just the whole notion of it...and the masses buy it. Just like the solution to crime. ROTFL Oh and no new taxation...PML!!!
Bahamianpride 10 years, 3 months ago
Wtf, pre-school, tell me this is a misprint.. This is beyond crime, what we have is a large segment of the population are purely savages locked in game of survival without any attachment to morals.. These individuals are sociopaths.. if this keeps up losing tourism will not be the major concern, the problem will be a large defection of of our most productive & intelligent Bahamians to other countries...
John 10 years, 3 months ago
Put 41 cats in a room and see what they do all day..pee...sleep.. clean they (((private parts)))try get lil bit..sleep some more.. then stink up da whole place with poop...welcome to the government of the BahaMaS ..all 700 islands! Too many pussycats in gov'ment
Bahamianpride 10 years, 3 months ago
i'll take back the savage but there is a deep problem here that has to be address that's deeper than just criminal behavior. People are locked in this extreme battle for survival. The Government has created an environment that places extreme hardships on its own people. They have essentially through poor education, high taxes, and corruption created a dangerous group of individuals running around with no care for humanity. You walk into a store and pay $6.00 plus for a loaf of bread and what do u expect. A jar of peanut butter will run u around $8.00.. Now what is the minimum wage.. Housing inflated, utilities inflated, gas and transportation inflated, interest rates inflated.. Everything is inflated then they want to tax people 15% with a stupid progressive tax on all goods and services. To top matters of you have a large amount of fatherless households with illegitimate children living in poverty. I can see no long term solution to the crime problem with these factors..
The_Oracle 10 years, 3 months ago
The exodus of the best and brightest has been going on for decades, facilitated by institutions of higher learning elsewhere. Once you see the opportunities everywhere else, not so politically manipulated, staying away is an easy choice. On a point of order, VAT is regressive, not progressive. A progressive tax is oxymoronic. At this point, Government taxation is like being forced to pay the gangsters for protection, without receiving any protection!
Bahamianpride 10 years, 3 months ago
Oracle, Yes I meant to say regressive, was pissed while typing, the frustration is that individuals like me from over the hill communities that were fortunate to leave through scholarships see no good reason to return home other than occassionally visiting family.
LiangChang 10 years, 3 months ago
Public Schools in Nassau is not good, too poor. no toielt paper, no food, no water. The robbers should rob foods, water, toilet papers and take to the children like Robin Hood.
sansoucireader 10 years, 3 months ago
Schools are still accepting payment at their campuses? Less dangerous if school fees are paid at the bank and the receipt turned in at the school's office. Seems like someone knew parents would be paying at the school and a lot of cash would be around. Dangerous for students, staff and parents!
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