The Tribune

By AVA TURNQUEST Tribune Staff Reporter aturnquest@tribunemedia.net A BAHAMIAN journalist was the victim of a brutal armed robbery this weekend. Tribune senior reporter Chester Robards ran for his life after he was attacked by two thugs at a traffic light early Saturday morning. After striking him multiple times on the face and body, the robbers ordered him out of his car and used it to chase him down as he ran for help. Mr Robards said he had just stopped at the intersection of Village Road and Park Gate Road when he was hit in the head with a blunt object. His car windows on both the driver's and passenger's sides were down. "I was coming home, it was about 4am. I stopped at the traffic light, and the next thing I remember is getting smashed in my head," Mr Robards said. "It felt like a rock but they said it was a gun. I got hit a couple more times from someone standing outside the driver's side door, then someone opened the passenger door, came in and started hitting me from the other side." The thugs stole his watch, chain, wallet, laptop and car. Woozy from the blows, Mr Robards said he grabbed his iPod touch pad and tried to escape after he was ordered out of his car by one of the men. Threatening that they would shoot to kill, Mr Robards said the thugs drove after him in his white Honda Civic and demanded the iPod. "I don't remember much, I was pretty delirious after getting hit. I just started running through the corner and they followed me," he said. "They drove after me in my car, and started shouting that they would shoot me so I gave them the iPod." Bloodied and distraught, Mr Robards said he then ran to the safety of a nearby residence. Residents called the police, who responded quickly and took Mr Robards to the hospital for treatment. He received three stitches over his eyebrow. Mr Robards said: "I didn't really see anyone's face, it was just a blur. "I'm pretty shaken up and just upset. I don't understand how these people can be so brutal to people they don't know. I just want to tell everyone out there to be careful, be on the look out, stay together in groups." According to Mr Robards, police say his car had been spotted in the area; however, investigators had no leads into the matter last night.