Sister of murdered watermelon vendor wants justice

Ann Marie Rambally is calling for justice after her older brother Mickey Rambally was found dead on Kernaham Trace, Manzanilla, early on Sunday.

The elder Rambally, 57, died of blood loss from a chop wound he received on his right arm after he was confronted by bandits at a watermelon field where he worked as a night watchman.

Newsday spoke to Ann Marie Rambally at the Forensic Science Centre, St James, on Monday. She said she was sad and angry after hearing of her brother's murder and called for swift justice in dealing with his killers.

"You couldn't help but love him. He didn't deserve that and I'm very upset. I hope they find whoever did that to him and God help them.

"Our mother is 79 years old and all we told her was that Mickey died. We didn't get into the details of how he died. Even last night, we took off the television because we didn't want her to see that her son was murdered."

She said her brother worked as a watchman and a watermelon vendor in Manzanilla over the past nine months. He was robbed in March but was not fearful or concerned for his own safety as he was well-liked by everyone in the area.

"Everyone from the community knew him and respected him, which is what makes this so hard to understand. He was even featured in some photos from a photographer on social media because of how well-known he was. He was a real staple in the community."