Police: 9 held in Arima but none related to triple murder

ACTING Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Curt Simon says none of the nine recent arrests in the Heights of Guanapo, Arima, are connected to a multiple shooting in the area on February 22, which left a six-year-old boy hospitalised and his parents and uncle dead.

In a brief phone interview with Newsday on February 24, Simon explained the police operation which led to the arrests occurred in the "same general area," but none of those detained were directly linked to the tragic events.

“We conducted some exercises, and those arrested were involved in a separate incident,” Simon clarified.

On February 22 around 10.15 pm, Anicia James, 47, was closing her shop on La Retreat Extension Road when two gunmen forced their way into her adjoining home. The assailants opened fire, killing James, her brother, Anselm James, 49, and her common-law husband, Mitchell Francois, 30. James's six-year-old son was shot in both feet and remains hospitalised.

The gunmen managed to escape by fleeing through a nearby orange orchard. Simon spoke cautiously about the ongoing investigation.

“A murder investigation takes time. You have to be very, very meticulous with the approach.”

Later that day, police could identify no clear motive, but said initial enquiries had led them to believe the murders were gang-related.

Acting Commissioner of Police Junior Benjamin also spoke with Newsday on February 24. He described the incident as “unfortunate” and said police were taking the situation extremely seriously.

Benjamin also referred to a video posted on the police's Facebook page which showed officers on the scene.

“There is a state of emergency (SoE) in place, yet this incident occurred. We are deeply concerned. As I’ve said, we are treating this with the utmost seriousness.

"You would have seen our DCP Suzette Martin, ACP Curt Simon and other officers actively working to understand what happened. This is the level of commitment we’re bringing to this situation.”

He pointed out that it was the first triple murder of the year and reaffirmed police’s dedication to solving the case and addressing crime in general.

“We are dedicating all our efforts to bringing the perpetrators of this crime and all crimes to justice.”

Addressing the killers directly, Benjamin warned: “The senseless killings must come to an end and it will. We will not stop until we find you.

"Police have worked tirelessly and implemented measures to reduce crime. When criminals continue to engage in such violence, we must take action to uproot them and ensure they face justice.”

Benjamin said the police would not back down, but would instead intensify their efforts in the fight against crime with results that would speak for themselves.

“We are committed to addressing this situation to the best of our ability.”

When Newsday visited the scene on February 23, a relative of Anicia James expressed uncertainty about the intended target but firmly dismissed any suggestion that James had been involved in gang activity.

“I can’t speak on behalf of Francois, but I can talk on behalf of Anicia James. I know she was a humble soul. She just ran her shop, and that was it.”

Asked about online rumours suggesting the murders were connected to a dispute following a car accident in which Anselm James had been injured, the relative also dismissed those claims, believing the incident had nothing to do with the murders.

The family’s home was equipped with CCTV cameras at the front, but it remains unclear whether it was operational at the time of the killing.