Venezuelan teen killed

JENSEN LA VENDE

A teenager with dual citizenship in TT and Venezuela was killed on Friday night, leaving officers stumped for a motive.

According to police reports, officers of the Inter-Agency Task Force was told that the body of a man was found lying at the side of the road near Citrus Growers. When officers responded they were informed that a motorist took the man to the hospital. By the time officers arrived they were informed that Mickal Martinez, 19, of Belle Smythe Street, Curepe, had died.

Police said the teen worked at a mall in West Trinidad and are stumped as to why he was in the area. They said they have no motive for his killing as they have ruled out robbery and gang affiliation as the probable cause.

In an unrelated shooting, a Diego Martin man was yesterday shot twice in what police say may be connected to two murders that took place in the area in January. According to police reports, around 5.30 pm yesterday gunshots were heard at Quarry Street, Diego Martin, and Brandon St Rose, alias Solo, was found bleeding.

He was rushed to the St James Health Facility in a private vehicle escorted by police. Police said he was shot in the back and back of the head.

While St Rose was not identified as a murder suspect, police believe his shooting is connected to the January 16 murder of Jerome Ottley, 18, and the killing of 22-year-old Shaquille Nichols three days later. Police reported then that Ottley was liming with his friend Atiba Quamina, 25, at Quarry Street, Diego Martin, when two men jumped out of a white Nissan Tiida and opened fire. Ottley, of Edward Street, Diego Martin, died on the scene, while Quamina was taken to the Port-of-Spain General Hospital where he remains warded in a serious condition.

Nichols, 19-year-old Shaquille Farrell, 21-year-old Shannelle Goodridge and 21-year-old Christian Gittens were liming in an area known as “the Rathole” along Quarry Street, Diego Martin, when they were shot at. Nichols died on the scene, while Farrell, the son of a police sergeant, was shot in his left thigh. Gittens and Goodridge reportedly suffered minor injuries.