A West Bay shoe repair store was robbed Tuesday night by a man carrying what appeared to be a small gun.
The heist occurred about 500 yards away from the home where 41-year-old Marlon Brando Ebanks was shot to death last month.
Police said the owners of M and A Shoe Repair on King Road reported they had been robbed around 8.30pm Tuesday. No one was hurt in the hold up. The suspect made off with a small amount of cash and then rode away on a bicycle.
Armed officers and the police K-9 Unit searched the area last night but no suspects were found.
The location and the similarity of the description between the robbery and killing suspects have caught the attention of police. But at this point the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service has no reason to think the two crimes are connected.
‘The murder investigation team are aware of the (robbery) and are looking into whether there’s any connection,’ said police spokesperson Deborah Denis.
The robbery suspect was described as about 5’11’ with a slim build. Witnesses said he wore dark coloured clothing, a black mask and got away on a bicycle.
The homicide suspect was said to be about 5’10’ with a slim build, wearing dark clothing and a dark tam pulled over his face. He also rode off on a bicycle.
The difference between the two cases in investigator’s minds is that there appears to have been a specific reason why someone wanted to kill Mr. Ebanks, whereas police said the robbery appears to be more random in nature.
Mr. Ebanks’ death ‘appears to bear the hallmark of a contract killing,’ according to RCIPS Chief Inspector Peter Kennett. But Mr. Kennett has previously said it could just have easily been the result of a personal vendetta.
Since the 21 August killing, police said they have stepped up patrols in the northern and north-western section of West Bay where these crimes have occurred.
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