A relative who stands accused of killing a four-year-old child on Thursday night has denied she had anything to do with the girl's death.
"I did not kill Jenice Figaro. I loved her like my own daughters," she told the Guardian yesterday, several hours after baby Jenice was pronounced dead at the San Fernando General Hospital.
The child died half an hour after complaining of feeling unwell on Thursday while eating a meal of fries with ketchup and garlic sauce, at the family's Corosal, Whiteland, home near Gasparillo.
Jenice shared the home with her father, Robert Figaro, the relative and the relative's children.
Gasparillo police are investigating the circumstances surrounding the child's death and have taken a statement from the relative. But the mystery of how she died will not be known until next Tuesday, when an autopsy is performed at the Forensic Science Centre, St James.
Figaro said an autopsy carded to take place yesterday was rescheduled after the doctors who examined her saw fresh marks on her body.
"So they want a proper autopsy done at the Forensics on Tuesday," he said when reached by telephone yesterday.
"I did not see the marks, which they said could have caused her to die, and they did not want to disclose anything to me. I only saw her face because she was covered up."
Figaro said he did not want to believe the relative had anything to do with the child's death either.
He added, "I don't know what to believe right now. All I know is that I left home for about one hour on Thursday night and came back to meet my only child dead. Before I left home, she was happy, she was normal.
"That was my only daughter. I don't make joke with her. She was not sick, she was up to date with all her shots, everything, I taking care of her since she was ten months old. I love she bad, bad, bad and I always will."
The relative, however, had to flee the Corosal home after some of Figaro's relatives accused her of killing the child and threatened reprisal. She has given a statement to the police.
According to reports, at around 8.30 pm Thursday, Jenice was at the dinner table eating with two other children when she complained of a tummy ache. She then wet herself and was tidied up and put in bed, but still complained of pain. When the pain persisted an ambulance was called in. By the time the ambulance arrived Jenice had stopped breathing and she was taken to the hospital