[UPDATED] Belmont woman gunned down, mother wants earlier police patrols

THE mother of a 33-year-old woman from Belmont who was gunned down while walking to work early on the morning of January 13 says the police should should start their patrols in the community earlier, as it could potentially save lives.

The dead woman has been identified as Onella Parks.

Police said around 6.30 am, Parks was killed when a gunman ambushed her. She was hit several times.

The incident took place at Lovers Lane, Belmont. She was taken to hospital, where she later died.

Police found 13 spent shells and two projectiles at the scene. They said she was not known to them and they had no motive for her murder.

Newsday spoke to Onella's mother Lydia Parks by telephone on January 13. She said the lack of police presence in the area at the time of her daughter's death was a major factor.

"Look at that hour the morning she going to work. Not a police on the road. Whole day they walking up and down the road, and that hour (of) the morning it don't have a police.

"After she dead, the world of police out dey. But it done too late, 'cause she done dead."

Parks described her daughter as a quiet and cool woman.

"She'd go to work, come back home. She wasn't really no bacchanal person and she wasn't in the gangster life."

Parks said she last saw her daughter moments before her death.

"I saw her when she was leaving to go to work. Then when I see she again, she was lying down in the hospital morgue."

Onella worked at the Port of Spain City Corporation and had a 13-year-old daughter.

Newsday asked Parks how she felt about the crime situation and Belmont specifically.
She said, "It too ridiculous. It too ridiculous.

"You don't know when you coming out your door what will happen.

"She leave to go to work and she never come back home."

Parks expressed concern that women face an increasingly high risk of being unsafe.

"Why when your girl child dress to go to school or work you hadda have a fear? Because you don't know if she'll come back home.

"They kidnapping them, they raping them, they doing them all kinda thing. It real bad, it real bad.

"I don't know what to do again. All I could do is tell my grandchildren and children to pray. Christ is the answer."

She said the government was not doing much to deal with the crime situation.

"This getting from bad to worse."

Police said investigations are ongoing.

This story was originally published with the title "Belmont woman gunned down on way to work" and has been adjusted to include additional details. See original post below.

A 33-year-old woman from Belmont was gunned down while walking to work in Port of Spain early on January 13.

She has been identified as Onella Parks.

Police said around 6.30 am, Parks, an employee of the Port of Spain City Corporation was killed when a gunman ambushed and gunned her down.

The incident took place at Lovers Lane, Belmont. She was taken to hospital, where she later died.

Police said she was not known to them and they currently have no motive for her murder.

Investigation are ongoing.