[UPDATED] Crown Point man chopped to death, suspect held

Tobago police were kept busy for a third consecutive day on Saturday with the chopping death of a man at his home in Crown Point.

Dead is Kenrick James, 65, of Store Bay Local Road. He is Tobago’s seventh murder victim for 2022.

A 54-year-old suspect has been detained by police.

Police are also investigating two other murders.

On Thursday, TT Inter-Island Company employee Emero Baynes was gunned down early Thursday morning while driving his car along Belmont Farm Road, Mason Hall.

That night, Jonathan Baptiste, 28, of Gerald Graham Road, Union Village, was shot by a man at Lal’s carpark, Dutch Fort, Scarborough. The National Gas Company employee subsequently died at hospital.

Police said around 7.30 am on Saturday, James got into an argument with a man whom he knew well at his home. The men then got into a fight and James was chopped to death.

DMO Kumar visited the scene and pronounced James dead.

Among the police who responded were Sgts Guy and Wilson, Wsgt Daniel-Kerr and PCs Lakhan and Robley of the Crown Point Police Station.

Contacted for comment about the killings, Snr Supt Junior Benjamin said the investigations into the shooting deaths of Baynes and Baptiste are very promising.

“We believe that very soon we will have a breakthrough in that,” he told Sunday Newsday.

“When you look at our murder rate right now in terms of our solve rate, prior to these two we were about 50 per cent which means that for every other murder we were able to find the perpetrators.

“So far, the evidence that we are able to unearth is very promising that we are going to find the perpetrators. We are hopeful.”

Benjamin urged the public to work with the police to solve crime “because once we get the information we are going to work on it to ensure that Tobago does not become a place where murders and criminals can find a home.

In a statement issued by the police on Saturday, Benjamin said more resources have been deployed to help solve the crimes.

Benjamin said with the upcoming Carnival activities in Tobago, “There is no need for panic as police officers will be conducting operations to increase visibility, safety, and security in key areas.”

This story has been updated with additional details. Below is the original article first published under the headline 'Another murder in Tobago as Crown Point man chopped to death'.

Tobago has recorded its third murder in as many days – this time a fatal chopping.

The victim has been identified as Kenrick James, 65, of Store Bay Local Road, Crown Point.

Police said around 7.30 am on Saturday, James got into an argument with a man whom he knew at his home. The men then got into a fight and James was chopped to death.

DMO Kumar visited the scene and pronounced James dead.

Among the police officers who responded were Sgts Guy, Wilson, Daniel-Kerr and PCs Lakhan and Robley of the Crown Point Police Station.

Tobago police are also continuing investigations into two recent murders.

Jonathan Baptiste, 28, of Gerald Graham Road, Union Village, was shot by a man at Lal’s carpark, Dutch Fort, Scarborough, around 10.30 pm on September 22. He subsequently died at hospital.

And on September 21, Trinidad and Tobago Inter-Island Transportation Company employee Emero Baynes was gunned down while driving his car along Belmont Farm Road, Mason Hall.

Investigations into all three killings are continuing.