ST ELIZABETH, Jamaica— The police arrested two men who they believe were involved in the attempted robbery of a bar in Braes River, St Elizabeth early Sunday morning.

Reports are that about 3:45 am, the complainant, who operates the bar in Braes River, was alerted that his establishment was being broken into. He enquired but was met with gunshots from the robbers who were travelling in a Toyota Voxy motor vehicle. The men managed to flee the scene.

The police were alerted and shortly after intercepted a Toyota Corolla motorcar operating as a ‘pilot’ motor vehicle in close proximity to where the shooting occurred. The driver was taken into custody.

Shortly after, a team of officers intercepted the Toyota Voxy motor vehicle in Elim district in the parish. On the approach of the law enforcement officers, the gunmen opened gunfire. The police returned fire; however, two men managed to escape. The third assailant was subsequently apprehended.

Both men were arrested, and the two vehicles seized pending further investigations.

OBSERVER ONLINE reported last week that there has been a spate of robberies of bars along the south coast of St Elizabeth.

READ: Bar operators in St Elizabeth irate over increase in robberies

The robbers have been pillaging operators and patrons in traditionally low-crime areas such as Southfield, Flagaman, Bull Savannah, Alligator Pond, Lane, Downs, New Forest, Sea Air, Bellevue and even Malvern, atop the Santa Cruz Mountains.

One of the robberies turned fatal on Saturday, when a patron, identified as 52-year-old Lloyd Cole, otherwise called ‘Rice Man’, was killed by gunmen during an armed robbery at a bar in Top Hill in the parish.