As police prepare to put several vigilante Claxton Bay residents on ID parade tomorrow for the beating of a man whom they had mistaken for a thief, an investigating officer is warning citizens to be cautious when purchasing vehicles.
Cpl Brian Singh said the entire situation could have been prevented if the proper checks were made by the Claxton Bay man who had bought a truck almost a year ago.
“A lot of people are duplicating and creating false documents, then stealing vehicles and selling them to unsuspecting buyers,” Singh told the Sunday Guardian yesterday.
“We are advising the public to visit the Licensing office and make every effort to ensure that the seller is the owner of the vehicle. People also need to ensure that the vehicle is transferred to them within seven days of the purchase.”
He said buyers should also check and compare the vehicle’s chassis number with the chassis number on the documents are produced.
Decima Nottingham, 28, went with a friend to collect the dump truck in Claxton Bay on Thursday and ended up being severely beaten by the residents.
According to reports, the original owner of the vehicle sold it to two different men—The truck was first sold to a man from Barrackpore. The truck was then stolen from the Barrackpore man. He had reported the matter to the police, but they were unable to find the truck. The stolen truck was then sold to a Claxton Bay man.
The Barrackpore man, however, recently saw the same truck being advertised for sale, and Nottingham and a friend went to collect it. Nottingham said he was just doing his friend a favour. The friend was able to drive off with the truck and return it to the Barrackpore owner but Nottingham was captured and beaten by Claxton Bay residents.
Singh said the residents will be put on ID parade and once the suspects are identified, they are expected to be charged with assault by beating.
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