One dead after San Juan shootout

WHAT should have been a relaxing night out for 59-year-old Cecil Carabador turned fatal as he was killed during a shootout between bandits and an off-duty policeman at a restaurant along the Eastern Main Road, San Juan on Saturday night.

Sources confirmed that at around 9.40 pm, two bandits with bandanas over their faces entered a restaurant near Scotiabank in San Juan and ordered the cashier to hand over the money. An off-duty police officer who was in the restaurant saw the men, pulled out his gun and ordered them to stop.

The men fired at the officer but missed and a shootout ensued. The gunfight continued on the pavement outside the restaurant where Carabador was walking. He was shot and killed during the exchange while the bandits escaped.

Newsday understands officers of the North Eastern Division Task Force saw two men running near the bus route and attempted to stop them, but were shot at by the men. This prompted a second shootout with officers. The bandits managed to escape.

Carabador was taken to the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex and was declared dead on arrival.

Newsday understands he was on his way to buy soup at the restaurant when he was killed.