A Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA) employee was killed and another wounded as gunmen attacked them as they were repairing a leaking water line in Powder Magazine, Cocorite, yesterday.
According to reports, shortly before midday Nejie Jaja, of Upper Bournes Road, St James, and Luke Rampersad were doing repairs in a trench in the community when a third worker, who was not identified by police, left in the company's vehicle to retrieve a part needed for the job.
Residents reported hearing a volley of gunshots and when they checked they found both men suffering from gunshot wounds in the trench. They assisted police, who arrived shortly after, in removing the men from the ditch.
Jaja, who was shot twice, was taken to the St James District Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival. Rampersad, who was shot in his leg, was taken to the Port-of-Spain General Hospital. Although his injury was deemed non-life threatening, Rampersad, 34, a waterworks craftsman, remained warded last night.
Speaking with the T&T Guardian outside the hospital, Jaja's mother, Vander Jordon, questioned the reason for the attack.
"He was not in anything criminal. He just like girls and all the girls used to love him," she said.
Jordon explained that both his father and brother were employed with WASA and he joined the company as an attendant three years ago.
"Since he was small he wanted to work WASA. Whatever time they called he was ready to go out to work," she said.
Several of Jaja's relatives who were present said they were angry with residents of the community, noting they targeted innocent men.
"Imagine they went there to fix their water and this happen. They should lock off their water for four years and let them suffer. They too wicked," a male relative, who asked to remain unidentified, said.
They also questioned why armed guards from WASA's Estate Police were not at the job site, as it was located in a high-risk community.
When a news team from the T&T Guardian visited the crime scene, a resident who assisted police in transporting the men to hospital criticised the police response.
"When I hear the gunshots I run to the ditch and saw the two men. The police arrived around the same time and was watching in the hole, like they did not know what to do. I had to jump in to pull them out," the resident said.
He also suggested that Jaja might have been saved with a more professional response.
"I was holding his head in the police jeep. I am no expert but if they had been more gentle I feel he might have lived," the man added.
In a press release yesterday, WASA's corporate communications department confirmed the incident and expressed condolences to Jaja's family.
"The authority has offered counselling to the families of Mr Jaja and Mr Rampersad and will be handling the the funeral and medical expenses of both men respectively," the release said.
Homicide detectives were yet to establish a motive for Jaja's murder last evening.
Meanwhile, police are investigating a murder in Maloney on Monday evening in which a car wash attendant was shot dead.
Police said around 5 pm, Maulina Hyland, of Bagatelle Road, San Juan, was washing a Toyota Hilux at a car wash near Building 8 in Maloney Gardens when residents heard several gunshots.
When they checked a short while later they found Hyland, who was cleaning the pick-up truck's interior at the time, lying in the backseat with several gunshot wounds. Ten spent shells were found near his body.
Investigations are continuing. The murder toll stood at 444 yesterday.
SLAIN MAN'S STEP-DAD FOUND DEAD
Six days after Moruga taxi driver Norris Mendoza was stabbed to death, the body of his 74-year-old stepfather, Raffique Mohammed, was found hog tied under a broken down shed. Although Tableland police suspect murder, they were unsure how Mohammed died and are awaiting the results of an autopsy.
Mohammed's relatives reported that they called him several times yesterday morning but he never answered ,so they decided to check on him. When they arrived at his Thomas Ross Road, Tableland home around 11 am, they went under the shed and found him with both hands and feet tied. His white Nissan AD Wagon was also missing. DMO Dr Dhamraj visited the scene and ordered the body removed to the Forensic Science Centre, St James.
Southern Division CID and Homicide Bureau Region III officers, including Sgt Ramlogan, Sgt Ramjug, WPC Scrious, PC PC Maharaj and PC Jackman processed the scene and interviewed several people.
Investigators had no motive for his death, but were trying to determine whether it was linked to Mendoza's murder.
On December 7, Mendoza, 44 of Poui Trace, Moruga, was found dead in a deserted area in Indian Walk, Princes Town, with his hands in handcuffs. Police said that hours before, he picked up two men at High Street, Princes Town. Around 10.30 pm, officers were on patrol when they saw his Nissan Wingroad wagon parked in a lonely road off Second Branch Trace, Fifth Company. Officers eventually found Mendoza's body down a nearby precipice. His hands were bound and he had several stab wounds in his chest.