Diego businessman kills bandit

Arthur De Freitas, a police report stated, was off-loading meats from his vehicle outside his Morne Coco Road businessplace — Artie’s Patties — at about 4.30 am, when he was accosted by two bandits, one of whom was armed with a gun while the other brandished a knife.

However, De Freitas managed to break free from the bandits, whipped out his licensed firearm and opened fire, hitting one of the bandits who was later identified by police as Cadmir Ali, 22, of Plato Drive, Diego Martin.

Both Ali and his accomplice fled the scene. Ali jumped off a nearby bridge into the Diego Martin River, while De Freitas raised an alarm.

Police arrived on the scene a short time later and found Ali’s body in the river. A knife, believed to have been used in the failed robbery, was also seized.

A resident who told Newsday he knew Ali, described the dead man as a "spoilt" person. A shocked De Freitas, police sources said, was comforted at the scene by fellow business colleagues.

Visiting the scene were ASP Narcis Cadette, Insp Clyde Phillip (Homicide Bureau), Insp Anthony Lezama, Sgt Adams, Sgt Seepersad, Cpl Prescott, WPC Parris and WPC Campbell. Ali’s corpse was removed from the river and taken to the Forensic Science Centre in Federation Park for an autopsy. Investigations are continuing.