The murder of art curator and dealer Mark Pereira has left the art community in mourning.
The 66-year-old would have been celebrating his 67th birthday yesterday but was instead found murdered at his home along the Paria Main Road, Blanchisseuse, at around 6.40 pm on Monday.
The doors of his 101 Art Gallery at Woodford Street, Port-of-Spain, remained closed yesterday.
Pereira’s murder was one of four which occurred within a 13-hour period between Monday and yesterday.
According to the police reports, Pereira was at his home at around 6.40 pm when neighbours reported seeing an intruder wearing a black ski mask on the property.
The bandit was reportedly seen running from the side of Pereira’s home to the road and escaping. However, shortly after, the neighbours reported hearing gunshots and another bandit was seen running away.
Officers from the Blanchisseuse Police Station were called in and they found Pereira’s body with his feet bound with rope.
Guardian Media has been reliably informed that the bandits may have been targeting a valuable piece of jewelry—a US$500,000 ring with two diamond studs—that Pereira bought from India about a month ago.
Residents who spoke to Guardian Media claimed that Pereira wore the ring all the time and it was missing when the police arrived.
Some residents, who asked not to be identified, described Pereira as friendly. They also called for more streetlights in the area, as they believe that this will help deter criminals.
Homicide detectives from Region II are continuing enquires.
In an unrelated incident, a father and son were killed in Piarco yesterday afternoon.
They were identified as Nigel, 45, and Nerkyle Mootoo, 19.
According to a police report, at about 5.30 pm, both men were at 3 Bs Piarco, behind Namdevco, when they were shot by unknown gunmen. Mootoo died at the scene, while his son died at hospital.
The murder toll was 591 as of press time yesterday. At the same period last year, it was at 438.
