6 die in weekend tragedies

Six tragic deaths marred an otherwise quiet May Day weekend. Three men were killed by bullets, two women died in a fire at their home and another woman was killed in a road accident over the weekend. In the first incident, at about 8.30 pm on Saturday, Unemployment Relief Programme (URP) foreman Sean ‘Junior’ Francis aka Akie, 31, was beaten, then gunned down a short distance from his Factory Road, Diego Martin home. Two hours later Leslie Subar, 36 of Beckles Street, Arima, aka ‘Arima Menace’ and ‘Pigeon’ was liming on King Street, Arima, in an area better known as ‘Jonestown’ when a man came up behind him, shot him in his back and followed the stumbling man as he fell a short distance away, before fatally shooting him three more times.

At around 4.30 am yesterday neigbours at Waterhole Drive, Extension Patna Village, Diego Martin responded to the cries of Adrian Robinson and found his father Sheldon Robinson, 32, dead with a single bullet hole to his head. Then around 5.15 am yesterday, tenants at #85 Aranguez Main Road alerted by smoke coming out of a two-storey house, responded and found the body of crippled Patrina Dolam, 14, burnt beyond recognition next to her mother Ena Dolam, 52, who suffered burns to about 95 percent of her body. Ena later died at the Eric Williams Medical Complex. Police suspect arson. According to reports, at around 7.30 pm the father of two, muslimeen member Sean ‘Junior’ Francis alias ‘Akie’ told his common-law wife Anita Rosales that he was going up the road to return later. A few hours later police contacted her and told her that the father of her four-month-old baby girl Crystal had been shot dead at the back of Jets Printery on Factory Road. When Newsday visited the Diego Martin home of Akie, a still dazed Anita, her mother Juliet Rosales and father Christopher Edwards could not come to terms with the death.

While Anita pondered what to do about the unfinished house that the couple was building in the yard and how to take care of her child since Akie was the sole breadwinner, her teary eyed parents called for swift action in bringing the killer to justice. Akie is alleged to have received seven shots to his head and chest. His head was also bashed in and two front teeth were knocked out. Police suspect the killing is gang related. There were no eye witnesses. In the second killing, Leslie Subar alias ‘The Arima Menace’ and ‘Pigeon’ was sitting on a culvert at Jonestown, Arima, when a masked man sneaked up in a drain behind him and fired one shot to his back. Pigeon attempted to run and stumbled a short distance away where his attacker fired one more shot to his back and two more to his chest and head when he (Subar) turned around. According to further information the gunman then ran south along King street where a passerby pointed him out to patrolling Borough Police. The police did not stop.

When Newsday visited the Beckles Street, Arima home of Subar, his saddened father Raymond Hunte could give no motive for the murder but chastised the authorities for not doing anything about Jonestown. “Somebody is always getting shot or killed there and the drug trade continues unabated, yet no one is doing anything about it.” Jonestown is an infamous settlement in the Arima area. Hunte told Newsday that at about 6.30 pm they were all watching cricket, drinking and liming when ‘Pigeon’ left and said he was going out. Sometime later he got the news that his son had been shot dead. Leslie Ann Subar, younger sister of Leslie who described her brother as a secretive person who never spoke of friends or enemies and who had been in jail before, called for swift justice for her brother’s killers. Police suspect the killing is drug related. In the third murder, Adrian Robinson 12, and his friend Otis Mohammed, 12, were at home asleep in their bedroom at Waterhole Drive, Extension, Patna Village, Diego Martin around 4.15 am when they heard a loud noise. They did not investigate but some minutes later Adrian heard the phone ringing and went to tell his father Sheldon Robinson alias ‘Toop’ to answer it, when he saw the WASA contractor slumped on the couch bleeding from a bullet wound to his head.

A neighbour contacted the police who in turn contacted the District Medical Officer. When Newsday visited the Robinson home, Valerie Leon, mother of Adrian called on the police to intensify their search to capture his killer. “I am a poor woman and can’t afford to take care of my son as I would like. “Toop was building a house for Adrian and should have cast it (sic) today, instead he was murdered. “This killer has rendered a young boy fatherless and he must pay for it.” A neighbour confirmed that he heard the gunshot but thought it was the tyre of Toop’s van that burst so he looked out and saw the floodlight to the entrance of his neighbour’s gate off, which was highly unusual.

With that he called Toop by phone and got no response. He called again which is when Adrian cried out that his father had been shot, was bleeding and was not moving. The relatives could give no motive for the killing. Police are however working on the theory that he was recently threatened by the husband of a woman with whom he had become friendly. Autopsies are expected to be conducted today. Police in the meanwhile have confirmed they expect to make several arrests soon. The murders bring the number to 83 murders for the year and 85 if arson is confirmed in the deaths of the Dolams.

Arson suspected in the deaths of Aranguez mother and daughter

By Newsday Reporter

ARSON is suspected in the death of Ena Dolam and her crippled daughter Patrina Dolam who were burnt in the upstairs bedroom of their home at the Aranguez Main Road, yesterday morning. While no one could give a motive, police recovered a gas can with flammable chemicals at the scene of the fire. The completely burned bed has led them to believe that the bed and room were sprayed with the chemical before being set alight. According to information, at around 5.15 am downstairs tenants of the house at  85 Aranguez Main Road were alerted by smoke coming from the upstairs bedroom.

When no one responded to their shouts, they contacted the San Juan Fire Services who responded and dragged the burning unconscious Ena, 52, out of the room. Patrina, 14, was already dead. Patrick Dolam, husband of Ena and father of Patrina who had gone earlier to the garden with his brother Kissondath Dolam was contacted and immediately returned to the scene to see his wife being carried away and his daughter’s burnt body lying motionless on the bed. Ena died a few hours later at the Eric Williams Medical Complex. When Newsday visited the death house, a traumatised Dolam said, “I left them good this morning and went to the garden, next I get a message that my house on fire. “When I came I was told my daughter was burnt to death and my wife is not going to make it. “I was also told that the police found a container with gas that I had downstairs.
“Why someone would want to kill my wife and daughter, I don’t know.” “I left all the doors closed except the back door which was open.”
Several tenants downstairs and next door said they heard nothing nor saw anyone until someone called out about the billowing smoke coming from upstairs.

The entire house remained intact except for the bedroom where the fire took place. Dolam could not say if the bedroom was locked. He says he has no enemies and cannot understand why sombody would kill his family. “I can’t take it, I want my family’s killer found and brought to justice.” Medical sources confirmed that in recent times they have been treating Ena for severe stress brought on by taking care of her daughter and domestic duties. The sources also told Newsday that Patrina had the mental capacity of a three-year-old and could not move from the bed except with assistance. While the police suspect arson, they have not ruled out murder and suicide. Sgt Abraham of the Barataria CID is continuing enquiries.