Crime in Anguilla has risen to an alarming 21 incidents for the week, up from 13 last week. The main crime for the period August 12 to 19 was theft with a total of six.
The thefts occurred at George Hill, The Valley, Blowing Point, Rey Hill, The Farrington, and Deep Waters. Items stolen were two pallets of blocks, one bicycle, one goat, one 2000-gallon water tank, one laptop computer, one Olympus camera, one Blackberry phone and US$5970.

There were five reports of burglaries for the week: in North Side, Island Harbour, The Valley, South Hill and Blowing Point. Items stolen included US$210 in cash and one gold chain with a pendant, two black computer speakers, one silver digital camera, one washing machine, window curtains, one queen sized bed metal frame, two wooden night tables, two chests of draws, kitchen utensils, one dining room table with four chairs and one HP laptop computer. There was one attempted burglary in North Hill.
The week also accounted for one ‘taking of conveyance’ in East End, one murder in The Quarter, one wounding in The Quarter, one obscene publication and blackmail and one rape in The Valley. There was one case of possession of Cannabis and three cases of criminal damage. The damage occurred in Cauls Bottom, The Valley and Deep Waters. Items damaged were the back glass of a bus, the passenger side of a car door and one motor car.
Police arrested five persons for the period, down from ten last week: One male to prevent a breach of the peace, one for theft and another for possession of Cannabis. Police also seized a female for theft and arrested a male juvenile for murder.
There were seven minor traffic accidents reported.
Brice Further Charged
Inspector Andy Arsenault of the Financial Investigation Unit (FIU), of the Royal Anguilla Police Force, reported that on August 14 the FIU filed two additional charges before the courts against Joseph Brice for money laundering and an additional charge of theft. In the case of theft, Arsenault stated, “…The victim is a businessman in St. Maarten and the amount of money in question is approximately one quarter of a million dollars US.”
Brice already faces a charge, since January, of theft for 950 thousand US dollars from a victim in South Africa. His passport was confiscated and his bail was altered. Since the reinstatement of some of Brice’s companies their licences have been revoked a second time.

Would-Be Police Charged with Theft
Inspector Arsenault informed the press that on August 14 the FIU brought two charges of theft against Sherma Baptiste-Harrigan of Island Harbour. He said until November 2008, Baptiste-Harrigan had been the Office Manager of the Business Management Company Mossack Fonseco. He commented that Baptist-Harrigan was in a position of trust…on behalf of the owners in Panama. She pleaded guilty to stealing approximately US$18000 during an 18-month period.
On Tuesday August 18 the Magistrate sentenced Baptiste-Harrigan to two years in jail (suspended), 300 hours of Community Service by the Probation Department and the repayment of US$18103.73 in 24 monthly instalments of US$755 per month beginning October 30. Police had presented the court with six counts of theft against Baptiste-Harrigan but charged her with two. Her sentence considered all six counts.
Since leaving Mossack Fonseco, Baptiste-Harrigan was recruited into the Royal Anguilla Police Force and was being trained as a Cadet in Barbados. According to Arsenault, when the case of her theft surfaced, the Commissioner of Police recalled her to Anguilla.
Arsenault remarked that only the company (where Baptiste-Harrigan worked) could determine the total amount of money that she stole. He said a forensic specialist was not contracted to quantify the loss.
Mossack Fonseco is a formation agency which creates and manages international business corporations and often act on their behalf.

19-Year Old Killed, Another Man Wounded
At around 3 pm on Saturday Police responded to a report of a stabbing in The Quarter. Superintendent in the Royal Anguilla Police Force, Rudolph Proctor, stated that Police and Emergency Medical Technicians found a young man, later identified as 19-year-old Kevin Benjamin of The Quarter, with a stab wound to his chest area. Proctor said Benjamin later died in hospital.
The Superintendent stated that Police arrested and charged a 15-year-old boy in connection with the death. He is presently in custody at the Juvenile Detention Centre. Investigations are continuing and Police have made appeals to witnesses for information.
Benjamin’s body is presently at Rey’s Funeral Home awaiting a post-mortem. Mr. Proctor hoped that a Forensic Pathologist would be on Anguilla by weekend.
Later on Sunday night, another man was attacked and received injuries to his head. The attack occurred at a residence also in The Quarter. Police disclosed that a sharp object was used in the attack. They said it was possible that a third person was present at the time but that person does not seem to have been a part of the attack. Both the victim and the assailant are from the Dominican Republic.

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