By SANCHESKA DORSETT

Tribune Staff Reporter

Sdorsett@tribunemedia.net

POLICE are on the hunt for three men who tied up, assaulted and robbed two security guards at a local high school and a neighbouring business early yesterday morning before making off with a safe “with plenty money” and two stolen vehicles.

The drama unfolded shortly after 5am off Shirley Street.

In the first incident, police said the three men, armed with handguns, approached a security guard at Temple Christian School and robbed him of his black Nissan Note before assaulting him and taking his personal items.

About fifteen minutes later, a security guard was at Thompson Trading Co Ltd when three men in a black Nissan Note tied him up and robbed him of a cell phone, cash and his green 2009 Pontiac. The suspects also broke into the business and removed a safe before fleeing the area in both stolen vehicles.

Officers responded to the robberies, spotted the vehicles and a chase followed, ending off Homestead Street. The suspects abandoned the two vehicles and fled on foot.

A safe was recovered from one of the vehicles.

Assistant Commissioner of Police Clayton Fernander said police suspect the men are responsible for several armed robberies, dating back to February, where security guards were tied up and businesses were robbed.

“This a trend that we have been noticing and based on the way these guys work, we suspect the same persons are committing these robberies,” ACP Fernander said.

“These individuals are targeting business establishments in the early morning, tying up the security and robbing the place. It started with some schools a few months ago and now they are doing it to business. We believe it is the same group of criminals doing these robberies."

Perry Cunningham, Temple Christian High School principal, told The Tribune that nothing was stolen from the institution and said everything is "in order" for the school’s opening next week.

"We will be ready for Monday, we want the parents to know that everything is in order. “What happened was, we have a security officer that was attacked and sustained injuries to his face and head. He was taken to the hospital where he is not critical however the situation is still most unfortunate,” Mr Cunningham said.

“There is no damage to the school itself like to the classrooms or the buildings. We are ready and set to have school on Monday. I think these people targeted Thompson Trading and just attacked our guard to get the vehicle or because he was a witness. There was no attempt made on the school at all. I don't want our parents to feel uneasy, the school is safe and we are ready.”

The Tribune attempted to contact the management of Thompson Trading, a food and beverage distributor and wholesaler, but calls were not returned up to press time.

However, an employee who asked to remain anonymous confirmed that thieves broke through a wall that leads to the safe and dragged the safe out the building.

“There is a lot of damage to the wall on the inside, they broke in through a glass door and they knew what they were coming for. There was plenty money in the safe but not the $2 million that is circulation on social media,” the employee said.

In February, two security officers at C C Sweeting Senior High School were tied up and held at gunpoint while four masked men robbed the school of cash and electronics before leaving them gagged and bound for nearly four hours.

A few days earlier, C H Reeves Junior School was also vandalised and security guards there were also tied up and robbed.

Anyone with information is asked to contact police at 911 or 919, the Central Detective Unit at 502-9991 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 328-TIPS.