Parish Priest of San Raphael RC, Fr Roger Paponette was tied up and robbed by armed bandits a stone’s throw away from the San Raphael Police Station which has not been in operation.
• Fr. Paponette’s vehicle was stolen but later recovered. The bandits also stole items from the presbytery as they kept asking the priest “where the money”.
• Fr. Paponette was left “shaken up” by the incident but is okay, a statement from the Roman Catholic Archdiocese said on Thursday.
• Our camera crew visited the area earlier today but the priest and the parish staff were not on the compound. Calls to the phone at the office also went unanswered.
• A resident told us that prior to the start of the covid-19 pandemic, the San Raphael Police Station, located not too far from the RC Church, was closed down.
• The resident added that since officers were removed from the police station, which was recently repainted, crime within the community has increased.
• Residents are forced to go to the la Horquetta and Arima Police Stations to report crimes etc.
• Speaking on i95.5fm on Friday 19th August, 2022, Fr. Paponette recounted the ordeal he faced at the hands of the bandits. He added that after the men left, he was able to free himself and contact officers at the La Horquetta Police Station.
