A 42-year-old man is dead after ingesting a poisonous liquid following a domestic dispute on board a PTSC bus on Tuesday morning at Oropune Gardens, Piarco.
Ricardo McNicolls reportedly drank the poisonous substance after he doused his former lover with a flammable liquid and attempted to set her alight on board the bus shortly before 6 am. However, he was overpowered by the bus driver and another passenger.
The 49-year-old victim, who asked not to be identified, yesterday thanked God for the bravery of strangers, noting they saved her from a fiery death. She said she always feared her attempts to end their year-long relationship would end badly.
The altercation with McNicolls, she said, which started outside her Oropune Gardens home ended up on the bus at the entrance into the HDC residential scheme.
The woman said she did not commute by bus regularly but ran into it after he threw the liquid on her. She said she begged the driver to close the door but he did not react quickly as he was not aware it was a domestic dispute.
According to an eyewitness, McNicolls ingested a liquid after he was overpowered and before the police arrived and arrested him. The victim said she was contacted by the man's relatives early yesterday with the news he had passed away.
When contacted yesterday however, McNicolls' relative refused to comment.The victim said she had been trying to end the relationship since last year but the man refused to accept that.
Last November, she said, she sought the advice of officers at the Maraval Police Station, which is a building away from where she works. She also produced a slip, confirming an official report for harassment on December 28, 2015.
She said officers even called his cellphone and cautioned him to stop harassing her but he continued waiting outside her apartment and left countless voicemail and text messages on her phone.
PTSC deputy general manager, Carl Ramdeo, yesterday confirmed the incident. He said following the incident the driver continued with his scheduled trip but later made an official report at the Arouca Police Station.