Despite four out of five recent murders remaining unsolved in south Trinidad, Southern Division police say they are making progress and are confident of making arrests soon.Three weeks after St Madeleine mother of four Sherlene Charles was murdered at her Tarodale Gardens home, the suspect remains at large. Police said yesterday that a team of officers was gathering intelligence about the suspect's whereabouts.
Two weeks ago, investigators learned that the 35-year-old father, from Macaulay Village, Claxton Bay, was attempting to leave the country, but they believe those efforts were ditched after intense police patrols at strategic points.
Charles, 37, a kitchen assistant at the Royal Hotel, San Fernando, was shot three times by an ex-lover while liming with her children and sisters at their Stoney Hill Avenue home. After murdering Charles, the suspect turned his gun on her 17-year-old daughter, Kimberly Mahangoo, shooting her three times. He escaped by running through the bushes at the back of the house.The shooting came three days after the same suspect severely chopped and threatened to kill Charles for ending their relationship last December.
Meanwhile, detectives probing the murder of Hi-Lo store administrator Hazzir Mohammed said they have established several leads, but up until yesterday, they were yet to find the owner of a pair of women's slippers that were in Mohammed's car when his body was found.
On May 23, Marabella police, going to the scene of a car accident at St James Street, found Mohammed dead with a gunshot wound to the face. Mohammed, 48, of San Francique Road, Fyzabad, was found wearing a sex toy, one of several which were found in his car. Police said money was also scattered about the car.Police said the murder of 35-year-old Kurt Paul in Diamond Village last Thursday may have been a hit on his life. Paul, a former murder accused, was gunned down while liming outside a friend's home at Priam Street.
No one has been arrested for the murder of 33-year-old Crystal Balcharan, whose severely hacked body was found at Robertson Street, San Fernando, on Sunday.An inquest was ordered into the death of Deodath Ramcharan, who was stabbed during an argument at his Solomon Street, Princes Town, home on Sunday.
Arrests in Central
Central Division Police arrested a 25-year-old Freeport man who was found with a gun and several rounds of ammunition.He is expected to be put on an ID parade today as checks are being made on his criminal history.Snr Supt Johnny Abraham said a team comprising Insp Terrence Williams, Sgts Marcillinus Benjamin, Jitindra Toolaram and members of the Central Division Tactical Unit held the suspect at a house at Orange Field Road during a routine police operation.
Aftering gathering information, police descended on the house around 4.30 am and as they searched the rooms, they found a Ruger pistol and 32 rounds of ammunition.