Bank employee dragged by phone thief’s car, dies

- cops treating case as murder

Detectives have joined traffic ranks to track down the thief who deliberately ran over and killed 21-year-old Bank employee Sheema Mangar, after snatching her cell phone on Friday night.
Mangar, of Lot 675 Block Eight Mon Repos, East Coast Demerara, died shortly after midnight yesterday at the St. Joseph Mercy Hospital.
Grief-stricken relatives said that the victim sustained multiple injuries, including “a big hole” at her left temple, at least one broken arm and lacerations about the body.
Kaieteur News has confirmed that traffic ranks who were initially investigating Mangar’s death have turned the case over to CID ranks, since the matter is now being treated as a robbery/murder.
However, police are yet to trace the car and the victim’s mother, Radica Thakoor, yesterday appealed to persons who may know the suspects to contact the police.
Initial reports reveal that Manger, a Demerara Bank Ltd. employee and former Queen’s College student, was robbed of her BlackBerry phone around 18:40 hrs on Friday, while awaiting transportation near Camp Street and North Road.
Her mother, Radica Thakoor, said that from reports she received, some of Sheema’s colleagues had just boarded another bus when they heard her cry out that her mobile phone had been stolen.
An eyewitness had told Kaieteur News that she saw a dark-complexioned man wearing a red sweater run from North Road into Camp Street.
She said that the man then got into a car which was parked near the Bedford Methodist Church on Camp Street.
According to the eyewitness, she then saw a young woman, who was wearing a bank employee’s uniform, run towards the car while shouting “thief, thief.”
The source said that the woman then stood in front of the car, which was facing north, and shouted: “Give me my cell phone.”
But according to the eyewitness, the occupant of the car responded by running over Mangar and dragging her to Church Street.
The car then headed east along Church Street.
The eyewitness described the vehicle as a ‘fawn-coloured’ or silver gray car, but said that she failed to see the licence number.
Radica Thakoor, the victim’s mother, said that Sheema had been employed at Demerara Bank Ltd. for about two years.
“Sometimes I would call and go and pick her up.”
She said that Sheema would usually arrive home from work at around 18:00 hrs.
But on Friday evening, the family received a call from a bank employee who said that Radica had been injured in an accident and was in an unconscious state at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation.
Ms. Thakoor said her daughter was “hollering in pain” when they arrived, but appeared to recognise their voices.
She recalled that there was a large hole near Radica’s left temple. At least one of her arms was broken and her face and limbs were badly bruised.
Family members transferred her to the St. Joseph Mercy Hospital. They were still there early yesterday morning when hospital staff informed them that the injured woman had died.
Sheema Mangar is survived by her parents and a 14-year-old brother.