A brazen daylight robbery at Bahamasair’s Palmdale office yesterday afternoon left police combing the island for the gunman.
Police said the culprit reportedly walked into the establishment sometime around 3:45pm ordering customers to lie on the floor and then demanded money from the cashiers.
The robber escaped with an undisclosed amount of money police said.
Deputy General Manager of Bahamasair Van Diah declined to comment on the armed robbery yesterday as police were still questioning employees and customers who were inside the establishment at the time.
Police report that the culprit escaped in a maroon-colored car he had parked in the parking lot.
That vehicle was later abandoned in the Durham Street, Centreville area, just a short distance away from the Bahamasair sales office.
No shots were fired during the robber, but office employees and some customers were left shaken after the ordeal.
According to one female customer, who was in the office at the time of the incident, the security officer was a little reluctant to let the man in the establishment at first. She said once the man was in the office, he pulled a gun from his waist, covered his face with a mask and then ordered everybody to get on the floor, She said he then ordered the employees to put money in a hag.
The woman, whose nine year-old son was with her at the time, said she too handed over her wallet and money to the gunman but he refused it. “He was just focused on the cashiers – Bahamasair’s people. He did not rob any of the customers,” she said.
A male customer said at first he was oblivious to what was taking place, as his back. was to the door and to the gunman, but as the gunman walked down to the last ticket counter eveything started to sink in.
It is unclear whether there was a second man waiting in the getaway car used in the heist.
Keva Lightbourne
Nassau Guaridan
