Month-end murder spree: 6 murders in last 3 days

JANELLE DE SOUZA AND STACY MOORE

It is only three days into December and there have already been three murders in Arima, Diego Martin and Chaguanas to take the murder toll to 451 for the year.

The body of a 40-year-old man was found yesterday in an abandoned three-storey house in Arima.

According to police reports, residents of Sherwood Drive, Arima, heard multiple gunshots around 2.45 am. Police officers on patrol also heard the gunshots and went to investigate.

They found Andre “Beenie Man” Prince of Sherwood Park, Arima, on the third floor of the house, lying face down on a sheet of ply wood on a concrete floor with gunshot wounds to the back of his head.

In a separate incident, David Ali was shot at close range and killed on Cicada Drive in Diego Martin by a man dressed as a Muslim woman. Reports state the gunman, who was wearing full Muslim garb, including a hijab covering everything except his eyes, walked up to Ali, removed a gun from his purse, shot him, and drove off in a black X-trail. Police said Ali was known to them and was suspected of being involved in the murder of Abraham Simpson, who was killed in a drive-by shooting after attending a birthday party at a basketball court at River Estate, Diego Martin. The former Fatima College student who lived at Gopaul Avenue, Diego Martin, died on the scene after gunmen shot at two cars, including Simpson’s Nissan Almera, around 3 am on November 27.

And Central Division police are investigating the shooting death of 47-year-old gardener Anand “Chris” Singh.

According to a police report, at about 6 am yesterday, a resident found Singh’s body in a drain near his home at Carlsen Field, Chaguanas. Police said the body bore marks of violence.

An autopsy is to be performed at the Forensic Science Centre, St James, tomorrow.

These killings continue a spree that began on Thursday when businessman Ashram Ramnath, 32, was shot and killed by two men during an attempted robbery at his home on Chandernagore Old Road, Chase Village. Ramnath put up a fight which resulted in him being shot in the chest. At the time of the home invasion, Ramnath was with his brothers Amar, 27, and Akash, 25. He died while trying to protect them.

In separate incidents on Friday, a 56-year-old man and a 24-year-old man were killed. The first murder occurred at 7 am at Ste Madeline when the body of Vishnu Narine was found near the Ste Madeline Usine Pond. Narine, who had dual citizenship for TT and Canada, was staying at relatives in Church Street, Charles Village.

Police said Narine’s body bore marks of violence. Relatives said he left home on Thursday night with a large sum of money to drop off at a business in south Trinidad.

The second murder occurred at about 8.30 am when Anderson Babwah, 24, of New Haven Avenue, Marabella, and another man were in a heated argument. Homicide Region Three officers are continuing investigations.