Gunmen dressed in army and police outfits killed one man, shot another and pistol-whipped a third man during a suspected robbery at their home in Charlieville, Chaguanas, early yesterday morning.Stephen Rivaldo, 54, also known as "Trug," died instantly after he was shot in the head.Rivaldo was working as a watchman at the Clarke Road house, which is owned by his friend Joseph Huggins. Rivaldo also lived there.The incident took place around 1.30 am.
At the crime scene yesterday, Huggins, 42, a contractor, who was treated and discharged for a gunshot wound on his left thigh, recalled the ordeal. He said he was awakened by Rivaldo, who was calling out to him by the window. Huggins said the men used Rivaldo to try to get him to open the door."I asked him what happened and he said 'I feeling sick.' Then an unidentified man in army attire just start to shoot just so inside the house."He said the man fired about three shots, one of which hit him on his leg.Another man, Larry Hart, 49, who lived in an apartment at the back of Huggins' house, said when he first saw the men he thought they were on an exercise because of how they were dressed"Two of them were in full army wear and the other one had on a blue police uniform. They had on shiny boots."
Hart said he realised they were not Defence Force personnel when they pulled him off his bed, bound his wrists and demanded money."I told them I am a construction worker I have no money."
He said he was hit a few gun butts to his head and then they ransacked his place. Hart said shortly after he heard a vehicle with a turbo engine speed off and then Huggins untied him.Huggins said he waited until the police arrived before he came out the house and found Rivaldo's body in a pool of blood.The incident has left them in a state of shock.Huggins said: "This is quite a surprise. It's a quiet area. He (Rivaldo) and I were good friends. He was a nice, helpful person ask the neighbours. He also use to plant garden." He said Rivaldo has a daughter and was originally from St Joseph, but he had been living there for the past six years."They kill a man for nothing," Hart said.Chaguanas police are investigating.