Army man shoots and kills man at Siparia

A soldier shot and killed a man who allegedly tried to steal his van on Friday afternoon in Siparia.

Police identified the dead man as Nicholas Garcia, 25, who was mentally challenged. He lived at Chambersville in Palo Seco.

A report said at about 1.30 pm, the army man who lives at Beetham Gardens was heading towards Siparia from Santa Flora and saw an unknown man lying on the SS Erin Road in Quarry Village near Skinner Trace. He stopped his black Hilux to assist.

But as soon as the he stepped out, the man later identified as Garcia allegedly pushed him down, got into the driver’s seat, and drove off.

The soldier managed to cling onto the door and his body was dragging on the road. He eventually let go and opened fire at the moving van. Garcia got hit about 100 feet away, where the van crashed in a yard. Garcia died behind the wheels.

The wounded man was taken to the Siparia district health facility. Up to Friday evening, the soldier was assisting police with the investigation.

ASP Ramdeo of the South Western Division is leading the investigation.