[UPDATED] Man killed, another injured in robbery gone wrong

The nephew of a construction worker who was murdered on May 9 has expressed disgust over the crime scourge in the country, saying he believes people are now killing for sport.

Less than three months after getting married, Leroy Sifontis, 38, of Mahappy Drive, Darsan Trace, Siparia, was killed in what police believe was a robbery gone wrong. Another resident of the area, a 20-year-old Amalgamated security officer was also injured in the incident.

The security officer told police he and Sifontis were waiting along the corner of Old Siparia Road and Darsan Trace to catch a taxi to go to their respective jobs when around 5.10 am, a red Hyundai vehicle pulled up, claiming to be a taxi heading to Fyzabad.

The men jumped in the back seat of the vehicle with Sifontis seated near the left door and the security officer in the middle. There was already a male occupant in the front passenger seat.

Shortly after the vehicle pulled off, the passenger drew a gun and announced a robbery. The security officer said he and Sifontis jumped out of the moving vehicle but not before they heard four loud explosions. The security officer said he felt a burning sensation in his buttocks and noticed Sifontis lying motionless near him.

District Medical Officer Dr Maharaj pronounced Sifontis dead and observed gunshot wounds on his left wrist and back.

The security officer was taken to the Siparia District Health Facility before being transferred to hospital.

When Newsday visited the scene a few hours later, Sifontis’ nephew Keston Lewis, 32, was liming with over a dozen relatives at the top of Darsan Street, mere feet away from where the incident occurred.

He said he awoke to a disturbing phone call from his younger brother around 6 am, who informed him of his uncle’s murder. He said he and Sifontis were very close, almost like brothers and would share a beer almost every day.

“It was a senseless killing. It didn’t need to happen. You try a robbery and you ain’t get through, the men them exiting the vehicle. Let them go. What you had to shoot them for?

“But youths and them, I don’t know. I don’t know how them sitting down home right now thinking that they ain’t get nothing, not even one dollar and allyuh kill an innocent man and one wounded in the hospital. I studying how them feeling. Like killing is a joy? Or a sport? Like that’s a sport now, you know.”

He said relatives gathered at the spot since the incident had occurred and had not left. But with cups in hand and a bottle of alcohol sharing around, Lewis said they were doing what his uncle enjoyed.

“This is what he liked. He would lime. Every day, he would buy a little nip and come and sit down and we would lime.

“He was a real joyous person. He is the entertainment. He would get a bottle and hit it on that tree there whole night, whole day. You tell him you going in (home) and he’d say nah.”

He said his uncle never had any altercations with anyone and was so welcoming he would make friends with strangers.

“He would see you and turn friend with you and start to buy drinks for you just so. That’s the type of person he is.”

Lewis said his uncle’s wife is currently abroad and with police taking his phone as evidence, they have no way of contacting her to inform her of his death.

WPC Larode and the Homicide Bureau of Investigations Region Three are investigating the incident.

This story has been adjusted to include additional details. See original post below.

A Siparia man was killed and another injured in what police believe was an early morning robbery gone wrong.

Dead is construction worker Leroy Sifontis, 38, of Mahappy Drive, Darsan Trace, Siparia, while a 20-year-old Amalgamated security officer is now hospitalised.

The security officer told police he and Sifontis were on their way to their respective jobs around 5.10 am on May 9 and were standing on the corner of Siparia Old Road and Darsan Trace to await transport.

He said a red Hyundai vehicle pulled up with its driver claiming to be a taxi heading to Fyzabad. The men got into the car. Sifontis sat near the left door and the security officer sat in the middle. There was already a man in the front passenger seat.

Shortly after the vehicle pulled off, the front seat passenger drew a gun and announced a robbery. The security officer said he and Sifontis jumped out of the moving vehicle but not before they heard four loud explosions. The security officer said he felt a burning sensation in his buttocks and noticed Sifontis lying motionless near him.

District Medical Officer Dr Maharaj pronounced Sifontis dead. Sifontis was shot in his back and left wrist.

WPC Larode and the Homicide Bureau of Investigations Region Three are continuing investigations.