[UPDATED] Relative of murdered Sangre Grande woman: She died a heroine

A Sangre Grande mother of two is believed to have sacrificed her own life to protect her daughter when they were attacked at their home on Monday evening.

Police said Tricia Badaloo, 53, and her 21-year-old daughter Taylor Benson were at home at Neil Street, Sangre Grande, at around 6.50 pm when a man attacked them with a Chinese chopper.

The relative ran out of the house and fell on the driveway outside.

Neighbours heard the screams and called the police.

Officers of the Eastern Division Task Force went to the house and took Benson to hospital, where she remained up to Tuesday afternoon.

Another team went inside and saw Badaloo on the floor. An ambulance was called but could not be resuscitated. A district medical officer declared Badaloo dead.

Investigators suspect the killer was known to Benson.

Speaking with Newsday at the family's home, one relative, who asked not to be named, said she knew Badaloo fought her killer to give her daughter a chance to escape.

"Tricia...was someone who stood up for her daughter.

"If you watch inside the house, everything indicates she gave a fight for her daughter and stopped this man in front of the house before bleeding out right there.

"She died saving her daughter, and I feel her mother would do that."

The relative said the man she suspected was responsible for the attack was recently released from prison for assault.

She said the authorities should have warned Badaloo and her daughter that he was being released, as it could have saved them.

"Nobody is letting victims of crimes know when perpetrators are being released. How come we're not doing anything about that?

"If someone only called Taylor a little bit earlier, I'm sure relatives would have known to check in here and make sure everything is all right."

Contacted for comment, police confirmed the suspect had recently been released and said while they would inform people of possible threats to their lives, lapses in communications made it difficult to warn people in time.

"That is not something that is customary, to inform people if someone is being released from prison.

"If we get the information in time we will give them a notification, and certainly if we know that someone's life is in danger we will have an obligation to let them know. But sometimes there are lapses in communication, and sometimes we may not even be aware if the person got bail."

One officer said police in the Eastern Division and the Homicide Bureau of Investigations Region II were working hard to find the killer.

One relative told Newsday Benson was in serious condition but had regained consciousness after the attack on Tuesday morning.

She said relatives were unsure how to tell her about her mother's death.

"Taylor is lying down there right now and they cannot even tell her.

"She is talking a little bit now, but no one is saying anything."

Benson's father, who lives in the US,has reportedly been told of the incident.

This story was originally published with the title "Woman chopped to death, relative wounded in Sangre Grande" and has been adjusted to include additional details. See original post below.

A 53-year-old woman is dead and a relative wounded after a chopping at their Sangre Grande home on Monday evening.

Police said Tricia Badaloo was at her Neil Street, Sangre Grande, home with the 21-year-old relative at around 6.50 pm when they were attacked by a man with a Chinese chopper.

The relative ran out of the house and fell on the driveway of the house.

Neighbours heard screams, saw the woman bleeding and called the police.

Eastern Division Task Force police went to the home and took the woman to the hospital.

Another team went inside the house and saw Badaloo on the floor.

An ambulance was called but Badaloo could not be resuscitated.

A district medical officer went to the scene and declared the woman dead.

Investigators believe the suspected killer was known to the female relative who survived the attack.

Police from the Homicide Bureau of Investigations Region II are continuing enquiries.