'Loving child' killed in Laventille during community football match

THE body of a man found in Laventille on Thursday morning has been identified as 21-year-old D’Andre Augustus of Arima.

Police reported that Picton residents told police they heard gunshots at around 11 pm on Wednesday. Hours later, at around 6.10 am on Thursday, residents saw the body of a man outside the Picton Housing Development and called the police.

Augustus, according to police, went to the area to watch a relative play football in a community league match between Calvary Hill, where Augustus was from, and Picton.

Police said they have no motive for his killing as he was not known to be involved in any criminal activity according to their records. Police said Augustus was called to his death by someone known to him from the area.

His sister Ashley Baptiste said her brother loved to make family members laugh. He earned the nickname “Pits” from barking like a pitbull for the amusement of relatives.

“He loved children and would babysit his nieces and nephew” she said, adding that he was a part-time construction worker as well as a server with his cousin's catering company.

Augustus was waiting to start level-two plumbing at a government programme but had not decided on which one.

Another relative said Augustus was the “most loving child” and was saddened by the way he was killed.

The relative, who asked not to be named, said Augustus left the venue where the game was being played with someone he knew and disappeared.

Relatives attempted to make a report to the Arima Police Station Wednesday night when they could not find him after the match but were told that the report needed to be made in Port of Spain. The following day, after a body was found, they made a missing person report and were advised to visit the Forensic Science Centre where they positively identified Augustus’ body.

In an unrelated killing, police said 17-year-old Kaleem “Happy” Salvary’s murder was gang related.

Salvary, police said, was found murdered inside a wooden shack at Waterwheel Road, Diego Martin, on Thursday night. Police reported that at about 11 pm officers received a report of a shooting and found the teen’s body.

Salvary is originally from Andrew Trace, Blue Basin, Diego Martin. Police recovered one 9mm shell outside a window to the house.