Sister of murdered Laventille men: Trinidad crime situation 'hopeless'

After her two brothers were killed three years apart, Jenelle Jacob has described life in Trinidad and Tobago as hopeless.

Jacob's younger brother Joshua Roberts, 24, was gunned down while walking home from work on St Paul Street, east Port of Spain, on Thursday afternoon.

Investigators said 15 spent shells were found at the scene.

Their older brother Jason Fernando, 31, was one of two men killed in Laventille in January, 2020.

Speaking with Newsday at the Forensic Science Centre, St James, on Friday, Jacob said she was now an only child, after the deaths of her brothers, and felt alone.

She said the rate of murders left her fearful for the safety of her 12-year-old son and wondered what the country would be like for him in the near future.

"This is the second time I've had to go through this, and I just think that it's hopeless, because they (the police) never find the killers, and they want to class every killing as gang-related.

"Now that they're not around I feel very lonely.

"I feel really hopeless living in Trinidad right now. I feel hopeless for my son that is growing up. I'm afraid for him.

"Most of the boys who I grew up with are dead now. I can count on my fingers how many are still alive."

Jacob said she was seriously considering leaving Trinidad with her son.

Commenting on the two-day regional crime symposium held in Port of Spain earlier this week, Jacob said she was not confident it would yield any tangible results for the public.

"People who are going to work every day and staying out of trouble, we're losing hope in the system.

"We are law-abiding citizens and this is happening to us."

Jacob said her brother was arrested and charged with the theft of a car in 2020, but had worked hard to stay out of trouble since his release.

She said Roberts was so determined to avoid bad company that he would only leave his home to go to work.

"This is really shocking, because since he got out of jail he kept to himself. He never had any threats, he never used to lime on any block.

"That incident when he was locked up, that was his first-time offence, and he didn't like the experience, so he remained on the straight and narrow path."

She said while Roberts was interested in learning electrical installation, he was reluctant to pursue it, as he felt disadvantaged owing to his background and neighbourhood.

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