Residents of La Horquetta were in shock last night following the discovery of a 31-year-old mother and her two children, found dead with their throats slit open. The discovery was made by the woman's husband and father of the children. There were no arrests up to late last night. The woman, Vonetta Haynes-Reyes ,and her sons - Melik, 8, and Makasi, 4 - were found in a pool of blood by their father, Selvon Reyes, at their home on Plumbago Avenue shortly after 3 pm. Reyes, of Oropune Gardens, Piarco, told police he last spoke with his family at about midnight Wednesday.
Police said Reyes told them that during the course of yesterday he tried calling his family several times but was unsuccessful. Investigators said Reyes told them he decided to go to the home to ascertain whether anything was wrong. They said when he got to the house he realised it was locked and Vonetta's Nissan B12 car was missing from the garage. Detectives said he went into the yard and it was while peeping through a window saw the bodies of his two sons lying on the ground in the living room. He alerted the police who quickly responded and began investigations.
LEFT: Melik, eight, and Makasi, four, in an undated photograph.
RIGHT: Vonetta Haynes-Reyes in an undated photograph
The police broke down the front door to get into the house. They found Vonetta's body close to her sons. The couple had been married for six years. Selvon was too distraught to speak with the media last night. Vonetta's mother and two sisters live in the United States. Martin Mitchelle, her uncle, who was at the scene last night, described her as a loving person. He said both Vonetta, an employee of Senses Cosmetics, Trincity Mall, and her children were very peaceful.
Member of Parliament Rodger Samuel, who was also at the scene last night, said he knew Vonetta's face in the area but never had any interaction with her. He said it was a shock and tragedy when something like that happened in the area. Homicide officers were at the crime scene up to 10 pm last night and the bodies had not been removed. Vonetta's car, believed to have been stolen, also was not recovered.
