Moruga dad gunned down at home

David Baptiste, 39, a construction worker, struggled with the gunmen before he was shot four times in his head, mouth, leg and rib cage. The gunmen stole over $1,500 from the man before they left him for dead in front of his home at Preau Village.

Police are working on the theory that Baptiste was killed in an act of jealousy over a romantic relationship. Police said he knew his killers and called their names before he died. Up to yesterday police had not made any arrests.

At about 7.30 pm Friday, Baptiste was at home with his common-law-wife, her one-year-old son and his four children — Pedro, 19, Antonio, nine, Suzanna, eight, and Melinda, seven.

Two men armed with guns barged into the house and shot Baptiste. As Baptiste fought with the intruders, his frightened children screamed and jumped through a window, landing ten feet to the ground. Cradling her baby in her arms, Baptiste’s common-law-wife also jumped through the window in a desperate bid to escape.

The crying children, one of whom was limping after he landed on a nail, ran to the homes of neighbours and begged them to help their father. However, no one went to his assistance.

Baptiste managed to run out of the house but collapsed approximately ten feet away. The killers shot him two other times in his mouth and head before they escaped.

Baptiste was rushed to the Princes Town Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

When Newsday visited Baptiste’s home yesterday, his brother, Everil Molineau, was sitting on the front steps with a neighbour.

As he struggled to hold back the tears, Molineau said he was at his home when he heard four gunshots, following which a neighbour came and told him that someone had stabbed and shot his brother.

"When I came I saw him on the ground," he said.

Molineau said his brother was a "good person" but had become involved with a woman whose former lover used to threaten him. Molineau said eyewitnesses told him that while his brother was on the ground one of his killers pointed a gun at his head and said, "Ent ah tell you I would kill yuh boy."

He said Baptiste’s last words were, ‘"I know allyuh and this what yuh go do to me?" My brother was calling they (the killers) names. That is why they shoot him in his mouth."

Molineau said his brother recently started working and had planned to repair his house. Baptiste’s common-law-wife spent most of yesterday assisting police with their investigations. The children, who were very traumatised over their father’s murder, are staying with an aunt in Cachipe Village, Moruga.

Visiting the scene yesterday were policemen from the Moruga Police Station and the San Fernando Homicide Bureau headed by Supt Mohammed and ASP Valdez and including Sgt Ali, Cpl Hosein, Ag Cpl Renrick and PCs Ragoo and Ramdeo.