Bandit Snitches On Himself To Police: ‘Yes, It Was Me Who Rob Starbucks St. Augustine’
A man has been arrested and charged after robbing several business places across the country, including Starbucks in St. Augustine, KFC in El Dorado and Sports and Games in Tunapuna. The suspect has been identified as 32-year-old Raheem Philbert of La Canoa Road, Lower Santa Cruz. He has been sentenced to three (3) years’ hard labour for the Starbucks robbery, while sentencing remains pending for the other two (2) armed robberies. Police described him as a lone serial robber.
Philbert was sentenced on Tuesday (9th December, 2025), after pleading guilty to robbery with aggravation arising out of the hold-up at the Starbucks outlet along the Eastern Main Road, St. Augustine. He appeared before Senior Magistrate Indra Ramoo-Haynes at the Tunapuna Third Magistrates’ Court.
The Court heard that around 6:00 AM on 19th August, 2025, Philbert entered the Starbucks outlet, brandished what appeared to be a firearm, and announced a robbery. The lone employee on duty, fearing for his life, handed over $5,389 in cash, representing the store’s float. The suspect then left the scene.
A report was made to Police and investigations were launched. Enquiries were conducted by PC Gomez of the St. Joseph CID, who recorded statements and pursued leads in the matter.
Police said a breakthrough came weeks later, on 10th September, 2025, when Officers responded to a robbery at KFC in El Dorado. Philbert was arrested following a pursuit, during which he fled in a maxi taxi along the Priority Bus Route (PBR), before being captured after a foot-chase. During the chase, he discarded an imitation firearm.
Officers recovered cash, a Jansport backpack and a deposit bag marked “Sports and Games Tunapuna.” The items led investigators to link Philbert to an earlier armed robbery at the Sports and Games store in Tunapuna. That incident occurred on 25th August, 2025, when a 69-year-old Manager was robbed of $3,478 in cash by an armed suspect who escaped.
Following Philbert‘s arrest for the KFC robbery, he was subsequently charged for the Starbucks and Sports and Games robberies. Police confirmed that after being charged in the matters, he was refused bail.
PC Gomez met with Philbert after he was held for the KFC robbery and he admitted to the Starbucks heist. He told Officer Gomez, “I not wasting no time. Yes, it was me who rob Starbucks St. Augustine. I had on a white shirt, with black stripes. This is the same pants that I have on. This is the same shoes that on my foot and this is the same blue jersey over my head.”
Investigators said Philbert operated alone using an imitation firearm to intimidate staff before fleeing with cash. Officers described the KFC arrest as pivotal, as it allowed them to solve the other two (2) cases.
Investigations were conducted by Officers assigned to the Tunapuna CID and the North Central Division, under the supervision of ACP Singh, Snr. Supt. Gift, Supt. Jaggernath, ASP Bharath and Insp. Peters.
More on this as it becomes available.
[Source: Ian Alleyne]
Comments
Post a Comment