Residents of Coach Hill, St John, are calling for urgent intervention as fear spreads throughout the district following a series of destructive incidents allegedly carried out by a mentally-ill man known to the area.
Tensions escalated on Tuesday after the individual reportedly went on a rampage, throwing rocks at passing vehicles and smashing windows in the early hours of the morning. Several residents said the attacks have left them shaken and increasingly concerned about their safety.
One resident, Nin Sobers, recounted how her red SUV, purchased just in January, was damaged when a rock was hurled at it shortly after 2 a.m.
According to Sobers, the man did not stop there. After damaging the vehicle, he reportedly moved to the side of her apartment, where occupants inside noticed his presence.
“The lights came on and he ran off,” she said, explaining that the sudden brightness appeared to scare him away.
Security footage from the property allegedly captured the man holding what appeared to be an accelerant, raising further alarm among residents who now fear the situation could escalate beyond property damage.
Sobers said officers from the Barbados Police Service responded and attempted to apprehend the suspect, tracking him into a nearby bushy area a short distance from his residence.
“When they went, they saw him and he ran off. They went behind him and there is a drop off like a cliff and he jumped down there and escaped,” she said.
Residents say the man is well known within the community and that Tuesday’s events are part of a troubling pattern spanning more than a decade.
Sobers’ partner described what he called a “repeated cycle”, where the individual is arrested, institutionalised and later released, only for disruptive behaviour to resume.
“It’s been going on for over ten years,” he said, expressing frustration at what residents view as a lack of a long-term solution.
Other residents reported additional acts of vandalism earlier that same morning, including slashed water pipes and damage to windows and vehicles across the neighbourhood. The incidents have intensified calls for authorities to act decisively.
In a statement, the Barbados Police Service confirmed that efforts to capture the suspect have so far been unsuccessful, noting that he has repeatedly evaded officers by fleeing into nearby overgrown areas.
Residents have been urged to remain vigilant, report any sightings immediately and avoid approaching the individual.
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