TODAY should have been the day Donette (surname withheld on request) celebrated with her relatives at her nephew’s nuptials. However, their excitement quickly turned to anguish when her family was robbed while on the way home from the Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston.After spending eight years away from the island in the United States, Donette, her husband, and her son arrived in Jamaica Friday afternoon in anticipation of the long-awaited wedding.
“We stopped by [a food establishment] in Portmore. We were not even in the place for 15 minutes and when we came back outside they had broken into the vehicle and our eight [pieces of] luggage were gone,” an obviously shaken Donette told the Jamaica Observer yesterday.
“We had to leave on the first flight out the Saturday morning because we had nothing at all to wear. I never thought something like that could happen in Portmore,” she stated.
“Everything in the suitcases was at least US$10,000,” Donette said. “My laptop, my iPad, our clothes — they’re all gone. I also had some things that were for the wedding.
“My husband is a really tall guy, he wears size 18 shoes and he had about three pairs in his suitcase. I don’t know how they’re gonna be able to fill those shoes,“ she continued.
“It’s just a very big loss,” she noted as she sighed heavily. “We didn’t even spend 12 hours on the island. We had all the souvenirs, and those have my nephew and his wife’s names on them. There were so many things that were in there, man. Five of the suitcases were over 50 pounds, so you can imagine. Everything was in there for the wedding.”
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Despite being in low spirits, Donette pointed out that, luckily, her husband had placed their travel documents in his pocket after the family came through the Customs area of the airport, as he thought they would have been required to show their documents again.
A policewoman from Waterford Police Station, where the incident was reported, told the Observer that the motor vehicle’s front “pivot window” was broken in order to gain entry to the vehicle.
“I went on the scene and, honestly, I feel it for the people, because you just come from airport and you want your little patty and the eight luggage gone, plus money and everything,” she said in disbelief.
“The car was fingerprinted and everything, [detectives from the] Scene of Crime [unit] came swiftly, but regarding the tape (closed-circuit television footage), I was told that the tape would not be available the following, day but the Monday, so I don’t know what happened after that,” she continued.
The constable, who requested anonymity, highlighted a need for better lighting and stewardship of some commercial parking areas in the community.
“The car parks are a problem… we need to see more lights… the place is too dark,” the officer noted.
“People need to be reminded, also, not to leave their laptops in vehicles — you can’t do that. Mi nah say dem nuh have dem rights enuh, but you have to protect your things at the same time,“ she added.
The disheartened bride, Monique, told the Observer that she thought of postponing the wedding ceremony but they decided to go ahead.
“Most of the stuff for the wedding was coming, but I didn’t feel it much for the stuff, but more about the things that my in-laws lost, because her (Donette) husband is really tall, so it would be difficult for them to find clothes out here. So I felt it more for them based on that,” she noted. “I was really looking forward to meeting them, because I’ve never met them in person, I just spoke to them over the phone, and based on conversation, they are really nice.”
She said that the late-evening robbery has left the family distraught, adding that Donette had fainted the following day and fractured her knee in the process.
“Dem do overtime, dem work hard to save up all a dem money, just to come and then just fi know say somebody just come and just do that to them, it was really devastating. Now dem affi go tek time and just try get back everything, all of eight bags, dem don’t even leave one. It just terrible,” Monique said.
Now, the family is concerned that their name and images are in the hands of the unscrupulous people who robbed them.
“[There] were souvenirs with our images — napkins, some goodie bags and other stuff for the bridal party. The names were printed on them. There were also stuff for us — gifts and clothes,” she said. There were also clothing and other items that were in luggage to be given to children living in rural Jamaica.
When me guh mi get my ppl pick up mi patty and box juice or pepper shrimp suh as mi guh in di cyaar mi hab mi nyamings and guh straight home. I caan believe in deze times wid all wah a gwan not one person stayed in di vehicle. Dem really naïve bad, or a dem own ppl set it up. Den again, maybe dem save dem life cause if a trail dem did a get trailed den who knows what the outcome would have been if they followed them home. Feel bad fi dem still all dat money spend up and someone else a get di fruit a dem labour, may the thieves meet with a thousand strikes of negativity for what they did to these ppl.
A bit naive really, not even in the USA or UK you would leave your belongings like that inside a vehicle which was most probably in sight…
Go str88 to your destination, sort out, then come pon road…
Beyond disgusting. It’s really sad that people can’t even stop for one little patty. I know someone going to come on here and say they should’ve known better but just understand that Jamaica was a little different eight years ago. I personally don’t stop anywhere unless it’s a stoplight on our way to and from the airport. Like my dad would say ” nah tek no chance with old neyga ah road”
Ole teifing bombohole Dem
What a disgrace 🙁
Smh.. that’s sad.
was a disgrace but ppl affi wise up. think a paradise u come? worse u Jamaican so u supposed to even more aware. never leave valuable shit inna car when u stop nowhey, worse u a come from airport. park di car in where u can nyam u patty and see it, or go thru drive thru order u patty n go home.
This is not random. No ordinary thief would take 8 suitcases. 3 visitors, the driver and maybe another passenger. The thieves need couple chops still.
Donette is a African you married wid dem size 18 plow mah? 😀 cheer up cause thieves never prosper for long.
Really These people are too a naive. Now where in the world you should leave your luggages unattended. End of the day you should know better when your are travelling .
Mi sorry but dats why when mi a come Jamdown mi go Montego Bay airport instead..
Jah kno. Ppl stealing no right but hear wah… TAXI? A HIM SET IT UP!! When u a go any country never take a car a airport. Have u ppl pick u up or use hotel shuttle bus if u a stay hotel. Thank god dem stop Caz if dem di see di yute dem a teef dem woulda fight back n get shot… YOW big n serious not even a flight land later than 2pm mi tek… no waan mi ppl a drive late when car full a luggage. Mistake was taking taxi at airport woman r man u can’t do DAT. Yawd no so bad u Jus’s affi use some sense
And that’s why I don’t tell a soul when mi coming.. mi jus pop up! Caan trust dung to u owna family
My friend’s family were robbed. Gunmen lay in wait for them, drove all the way home from the airport and were held up as they got out to go into the house. Every single item was taken down wedding rings, passports, money and credit cards. It was later discovered that a nephew of the victims set it up when he knew family were coming from farrin.
Never put the address of where you are going on your luggage labels either. Because there was once a time where the staff taking the bags off the planes used to note down the address and call dem Gunmen fren dem to lay in wait. Travellers would get all the way home and be robbed on the doorstep. This is not a Jamaican thing but a teefing ting.
F**king disgusting that’s the reason ppl. not keen on going to Jamaica to visit have to be watching your back all the time. Them scumbs should be crippled.
This was a straight setup ..arrest the taxi driver. .u notice it’s the pivot window bruck….that is the easiest thing pon a car to replace. .cheap too.
I weep for my country!
Str8 f**kry smfh.
I smell a set up! Den tell mi something, in di eight loooooooong years Donette lef Jamaica and deh ah farrin, she did ah sleep????? And I’m NOT blaming the victim here, but yuh mean to tell me seh Donette naw keep up fi see how yawd ah run and see seh it get worse by di seconds????? Den she ah guh seh she cyaahn believe seh supmn like dis cudda happen “in Portmore”; suh Portmore turn Norbrook or Cherry Gardens yah now!?! What in the world were they thinking to have left EVERY MUMMARASSHOLE inna di cyar, and ah uh much time suh dem spend ah by patty, fi afford dem deh WELL INFORMED criminals, di time fi ‘crape weh dem 40 dead man deh, inna dem deh 8+ bag ah luggage????? Mama!?! :maho 0
This is so tragic, though; to say the least! Quite disappointing.
It look like from grade one some people neva did a pay attention inna Reading Comprehension class. The article states that they havnt been to Jamaica in 8 years so clearly they are not expecting to park their vehicle get some food and come back to no luggage. I think they got set up and it mabe somebody in the fam, they prob were being followed from they airport. And nobody knows what the culture is like where they are from its probably is a safe place and they were still stuck in that momd set.
Donette is Jamaican. You missed that comprehension? Thieves are global.
No one park a vehicle with 8 suitcases out of eyesight. The driver should have stayed with the vehicle. Unless donette forgot how to buy patty after 8 years.
Well mi understand wey Donnette did a tink. It kinda hard fi a drive pass di patty place fi guh home an come back. Probably meeda duh di same ting tuh. Mek wi look at Patty places in Portmore, one by the Mall and the other by Portmore Pines. Mi feel away still. Is a car drive up and tek dem luggage. Cause it wudda require 1 man to a suitcase plus the laptops, i-pads etc.
Go straight to yu destination first, and den yu buy yu food. Mi feel say a set up dey behind dis still. Dat is quite possible in Jamaica 2017 – even wid some people own family members. Mi go yawd already, and my very own sister (we come from de same womb and de same back) tell de Taximan wey she carry come a de Airport fe meet mi, fe charge mi extra fe de taxi fare, so dat him coulda get a extra money, and give har a cut outta it. During the taxi drive from de Airport to wey she live inna Portmore de taximan nuh stop look pon mi inna de mirror. Mi think say dat him did a admire mi. So a when we reach we destination, him whisper inna mi ears, one a way, and leak har secret, because him say him just couldn’t do it, and charge mi the right amount. Now whenever I go to Jamaica, a de resort mi stay, and dat sister don’t even know that I was in de island. How de fuqq mi fe trust dat?
This is disgusting, you read these stories and think it’s taboo but it’s reality. The way how these people stunt on the gram you would think they wasn’t such criminals. I have friends who refuse to go back to Jamaica because of the constant looking over shoulder. It’s sad that every time one return to their homeland they have to be locked up on a resort or constantly have to walk with a local. It’s crazy you have to be home with a bodyguard at all time. That’s why when my friends suggest Jamaica for our annual girls trip I refuse. I would be devastated if something like this ever occurred. These people need to do better. Thank God no lives was lost. That detour may have been a blessing in disguise.
These things happen all over the Caribbean except probably Cuba. I have Haitian friends who’ve told me straight up that they will never return to Haiti because once some criminals see that you are a “jaspora” (whatever it name) then it’s over for your life. But I understand why some people stay away from the islands. I on the other hand no criminal, no high crime rate or unprofessional custom officer can make me stay away from Jamaica.
You cannot bring patties into Canada. I am craving patties like mi a breed. My daughter is graduating from UTECH in November and I am going down for her graduation. Mi naah tell nuh lie, mi feel sey mi wudda did stop at the Mall and buy some patties before mi guh home. Now mi a pree if mi really waan nuh dam Tastee patty.
My boyfriend told me about a situation where a lady was going to Jamaica on vacation, she hadnt been home in over 10 years (mi nuh memba di exact amount of years, suh if mi mek a mistake unno nuh discount di story). Anyways di woman was a CNA (clean ppl batty) but she was a Christian. Her family said they were busy and sent a taximan for her. The woman was so excited to be home, dats shi nuh stop chat off the taximan ears. Shi tell himhow shi work hard and the type a work shi duh. She was very nice to the taxi driver. The taxi driver park di car and confess to har sey har family get him fi tex har wey and kill har. Tek har tings an dem wi split it up. The woman start bwal an couldnt believe. The taxi man tell har sey him a guh carry har back a di airport mek shi hold the first flight out.
Now unno tell mi…Mi believe mi boyfriend but now dat mi si minuhbusinnes a sey something simillar. Mi 100% believe. As to mi family dem naah know a raas sey mi a come. First to begin wid, two weeks before graduation mi change job an mi boss sey mi caan get nuh leave caws mi new. Two days before mi call mi daughter an tell har sey mi leff di wuk cause mi cudden bare not coming down. Tell family what?
This is sad but No BBC not going to Stop mi from enjoy my little island. I go home every year and mi nuh tell nobody say mi a come. Mi just show up. Mi rent car a di airport and drive myself and family home and enjoy di island, spend mi hardworking money inna Jamaica and go back a foreign. We little island is so beautiful and we have hard working people in Jamaica trying real hard to make it better. Jamaica nice yuh f**k!!! A witless bombohole wha nuh want work Mek it worst fi everyone else.
Do a gofundme and put out a reward to catch these low life MF.
Either a set up by someone they new or a fast thinking thief saw the “Yankee” in them and decided to steal their possessions.