[UPDATED] Debe doubles vendor shot in front of children, wife beaten and robbed

Armed assailants shot a doubles vendor in his vehicle, in front of his children, before beating his wife and robbing them at his Debe home on February 1.

Police said around 4.40 am, Deosaran Ramjewan, 37, of Ramai Trace, Debe entered his Mazda pickup accompanied by his children, aged five and two, when two gunmen approached and opened fire, hitting him in his left shoulder and abdomen.

Armed with a cutlass, one of the assailants entered the home and accosted his wife, hitting her with the flat side of the tool and demanding money and jewellery. Fearful for her life, the 33-year-old woman handed over a bag containing $18,000 from sales and some jewellery. The suspects then escaped in a waiting vehicle.

Police responded and Ramjewan was taken to hospital where, as Newsday understands, he was warded in a critical but stable condition. PC Esahack of Barrackpore police is continuing enquiries.

In a release, Oropouche East MP Dr Roodal Moonilal called for harsher penalties for criminals convicted of home-invasions. He said February 1 was another day of blood and tears as a young couple from Debe, eking out a living, struggling to pay bills and put food on the table faced a harrowing and brutal home invasion at pre dawn.

“They were working early hours of the morning, while others are sleeping, they were preparing to sell doubles to early morning customers. They were robbed, beaten and shot. The young male victim is struggling for his life,” Moonilal said.

He said this was typical of the ceaseless spree of bloody crimes under the “hopeless and pathetic” Dr Rowley-led administration.

He claimed that while a defenceless population continues to be terrorised by criminals, Rowley engages in public relations optics and vacuous, lofty but ultimately empty statements.

He also lamented the TTPS’ “woeful performance” with its leader, Commissioner of Police Erla Harewood-Christopher publicly admitted at having failed to meet all 11 set targets of reducing crime and lawlessness.

“Rowley’s calamitous leadership and the poor results announced by the Harewood-Christopher leave citizens even more vulnerable against brazen and powerfully armed criminals,” Moonilal said.

He called for the passage of laws to identify “home invasion” as a new specific offence with a heavy jail term.

“The TTPS can do much better but not under the political directorate of Rowley and (National Security Minister Fitzgerald) Hinds. And not with a very suspect Police Service Commision that nominated and recommended the current leadership of the TTPS.

“The qualifications and experience of members of the PSC must be questioned at this time,” Moonilal said.