PHILIPSBURG--The Prosecutor’s Office has requested a sixty-day extension of the pre-trial detention of the suspect in the armed robbery of Sonesta Great Bay Casino.
Prosecutor’s Office spokesperson Karola van Nie said the suspect in the robbery W.H. had appeared before the Judge of Instruction on Monday, when the request was made. At the time Van Nie spoke to The Daily Herald, the judge had not yet decided on the request.
The Sonesta Great Bay Casino was robbed by two armed men around noon on Friday, September 18. this newspaper understands that around US $160,000 was taken during the robbery. The men threatened to use their weapons and robbed the establishment, then fled the scene. Police spokesperson Chief Inspector Ricardo Henson said in a press release at the time that it was unclear how the suspects had made their escape.
He said that with “the little description” police had of the suspects, one of the investigating officers had subsequently identified one possible suspect in the Sucker Garden area. When the suspect noticed he was being pursued by police, he tried to flee in a gold-coloured Mitsubishi sports utility vehicle (SUV). Police officers fired shots as they chased the suspect.
The suspect fled on foot in the direction of St. Maarten Zoo, leaving the SUV behind in the vicinity of BBW. Officers, including the K-9 unit searched the area but did not find the suspect. A considerable amount of cash was found during a search of the SUV and confiscated for further investigation.
Several days later on September 23, police arrested the 39-year-old suspect in the case at a home in Middle Region.
