Parents of Valencia murder victim: He died a hero

Two months after he confronted drug dealers and told them to stop selling marijuana outside his home, a 22-year-old Valencia labourer was stabbed to death while walking to a shop.

Newsday understands Christopher "Jo Jo" Ollivierre was walking with his younger brother to a parlour on Paradise Lane at around 6.30 pm on Thursday when they were ambushed by a group of men who stabbed them several times, then ran away.

Ollivierre ran to his house and collapsed near the front door.

Relatives called an ambulance and both men were taken to the Sangre Grande General Hospital, where Ollivierre was declared dead.

His brother is still being treated for stab wounds.

Newsday spoke with Ollivierre's mother, Brigid Ollivierre, at the Forensic Science Centre, St James, on Friday. She suspects her son's murder is linked to his confrontation with a group of men.

She said she did not know her son to be a troublemaker, and felt he was defending his family.

"He was more of a ladies' man, if anything. He wasn't involved in any crime, he wasn't a smoker or anything like that.

"But he didn't like how these fellas used to sell their drugs outside our house, and he spoke to them about it.

"He was thinking about the safety of his four sisters, and that, to me, made him a hero. Those guys used to sell their drugs out there and then try to run and hide in our yard when the police passing."

Ollivierre said her son worked with his father as a forest ranger, but recently started working in the family's garden.

Newsday also spoke to Ollivierre's father Peter Calix, who confirmed the family has had concerns over drug dealers near their home for some time.

He said, "About two weeks ago, early in the morning, some people threw a home-made explosive device at our home. We don't know who did it, but we have our suspicions.

"They want to form a drug block on our street.

"There were a few shootings a few times, but we never thought it would come home to us like this.

"We didn't want anything like this near our house, because this would be a problem for us as innocent bystanders."

Callix hoped his son's killers would be arrested and brought to justice quickly.

Newsday understands one man has been arrested.