Early Tuesday morning, October 24, 2023, a businessman in St Catherine was shot and injured while he and two employees were throwing away garbage. He managed to drive himself to the hospital for treatment.
According to reports, around 12:10 a.m., as the businessman and his employees were getting rid of the garbage, two gunmen on a motorcycle showed up and threatened them with guns.
The businessman and his employees tried to get into his Toyota Hiace vehicle, but the thugs shot at them and hit the businessman in the back. The Spanish Town Police are investigating the incident.
Collection agent accused of storing clients’ credit card info
KINGSTON, Jamaica – A collection agent employed by a prominent Financial Institution is facing prison after allegedly storing customers’ credit card information on his cellphone, intending to make purchases unlawfully.
Christopher Bryan was brought before the Kingston and St Andrew Parish Court on Tuesday, October 24, 2023, to answer to the charge of possession of identity information.
Bryan faces up to five years in l prison if convicted under the Fraudulent Transactions (Special Provisions) Act, 2013.
Senior Parish Judge Lori-Ann Cole-Montague moved the case to the Home Circuit Court after the prosecution explained the accusations.
On October 4, 2023, Bryan’s supervisor at a prominent Financial Institution allegedly discovered that he was storing the customer’s credit card information on his cellphone. When asked why he had this information, Bryan allegedly told the supervisor that he was “going to use them to make future purchases.”
The presiding Judge transferred the case to the Home Circuit Court, where the jurisdiction lies.
The Judge remanded Bryan. His court date is November 6, 2023.
U.S. Embassy expresses sadness at the murder of a U.S. citizen.
The US Embassy in Kingston, Jamaica, expressed sadness over the brutal killing of an American woman, allegedly by her own son.
The authorities had identified the deceased as Mavel Johnson, age 54, who was allegedly stabbed to death by her son. The son is in police custody.
According to reporting, Johnson was on vacation in Jamaica. She was the second U.S. citizen to get murdered in Jamaica within one month.
On September 23, 2023, American citizen Shirnet Hammond was shot and killed by a lone thug while traveling in a taxi from a funeral at the Meadowrest cemetery in Spanish Town, St Catherine.
The Police report stated that a gunman opened fire at the vehicle in the Red Pond area, targeting Hammond, who suffered multiple gunshot wounds to her head and upper body. The trigger man, Caret Rutherford, was taken into custody and charged by the Police.
“The U.S. Embassy regrets all loss of life and extends condolences to all impacted by these tragedies,” a U.S. Embassy spokesperson said in an emailed response to queries sent by our news team.
The spokesperson said the safety and security of Americans continue to be the embassy’s chief priority.
“As such, we ask that U.S. citizens traveling to Jamaica be guided by the U.S. State Department’s Travel Advisory, which recommends that U.S. citizens reconsider travel to Jamaica due to crime. U.S. government personnel are prohibited from traveling to many areas due to the risk,” the email response said.
The U.S. embassy said travelers to Jamaica should read the travel advisory and enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program.