Renowned Guyanese Historian Tota Mangar, was left traumatised on Monday evening after two armed men held him up

Tota Mangar

and drove off with his motor vehicle on Camp Street, Georgetown. The incident occurred sometime around 20:35h. According to reports, Mangar was attacked by two men – one armed with a knife and the other with a gun – moments after he entered his silver grey Suzuki Escudo, bearing registration number PMM 6392. Mangar had attended the launching of two books written by overseas-based Guyanese, Roy Brummel, at the Moray House, located on the corner of Camp and Quamina Streets. Speaking with Guyana Times, the Historian explained that the ordeal happened very quickly. He noted that he was leaving the event when the incident occurred. He recalled getting into his vehicle and putting his keys and cellphone down, when the two men entered the vehicle; one from the front passenger side and the other from the back. Mangar said that the suspect in the back immediately placed a knife to his neck while the other pulled out a gun and pointed at it him. He added that the men then ordered him to hand over the vehicle’s keys. “I had no choice but to comply because one had a knife at my neck and the other had a gun pointing to me,” he noted. After handling over the keys, the Historian stated that he got out of the vehicle and the suspect in the front slide over to the driver seat and drove off in the direction of Church Street. Mangar recounted to this newspaper that he ran back inside Moray House, where he alerted those inside as to what had just transpired. The man said that he sustained a cut on his chin from the knife. According to the Historian, when he came out of Moray House, he did not notice anyone nearby but suspected that the men may have been lerking in the avenue. Mangar added that he could not see the suspect in the back but he managed to get a glimpse of the one in the front. He noted the men seemed to be in their late 20s to early 30s. Mangar posited that despite contrary claims being made by the Guyana Police Force, crime in Guyana is getting out of control. “These people seemed to be experienced. The precision in which they operated, they just catch you napping,” he stated. The incident was reported to the Albertown Police Station and the ranks responded promptly to the report. Patrol ranks were also alerted of the incident and combed key areas in the city but came up empty-handed.