Cops stop christening party, stolen DJ equipment recovered

The man is expected to appear before a Port-of-Spain magistrate today.

According to reports Sherwin Williams a popular DJ of Akal Trace, Santa Cruz reported to police, on September 3, he secured his DJ equipment valued at $122,000 in a storeroom at his home, and went away.

He also reported, on his return he discovered his house broken into and the equipment stolen. A report was made to the police and a party of officers led by Sgt Cornelius Samuel, and including Cpl Daniel Highley and PC James Stafford carried out enquiries and based on information received, was able to make a breakthrough.

According to sources, officers went to three known addresses of the suspect at Celestine Drive, Morne Coco Road, Maraval, Prince Street, Port-of-Spain, and Perseverance Road Maraval on Sunday where they found the stolen equipment.

The items were later identified by Williams who expressed relief the equipment had been recovered.

When contacted by Newsday, Williams whose DJ name is “Fire House Audio” told Newsday, after the items were stolen he informed other Djs. He received a glimmer of hope when he was informed by another DJ that a man had tried to sell the stolen items to him.

Williams said he passed on this information to the police which resulted in Sgt Samuel and others acting swiftly on the information, which resulted in the items being recovered.

He said “this says a lot about some members of the police service, who continue to make the service proud, and I want to publicly commend those officers who recovered my items. I hope other officers will follow suit, so that crime detection in this country could be improved.”

He said he was not surprised the coastguardsman had been held for the offence and said “nothing that happens in this country surprises me anymore.”

Newsday understands when officers surrounded the Perseverance Road, Maraval home of the man at his son’s christening party he asked officers not to embarrass him, but after he was led away to the police vehicle and the music was ordered stopped to allow officers to remove the equipment used to provide music for the christening party the 40 guests enquired and remained stunned after learning that the host of the party had been arrested for larceny.

Police sources told Newsday the man will be placed on identification parades for a series of break-ins and larceny in the Santa Cruz and Maraval areas.

Yesterday, Public Relations Officer of the Coastguard, Kirk Jean-Baptiste, told Newsday it was the first time he was hearing of the detention. He promised to check and call back, which he did.

When Jean-Baptiste later contacted Newsday he informed us the regimental number the man gave to the police was different to the numbers issued by the TT Coastguard. He said he will have to make more checks on the identity of the man. Police later reported that the man had confessed he was not a member of the Coastguard.