Murder in Philadelphia

CONSUELO PARIS-Celestine yesterday flew in from New York after Tuesday’s  funeral of her only child, Eugene Celestine and his wife,  Pramatee, and entered into Room 1103 of the Philadelphia Criminal Justice Centre to  catch a glimpse of Trinidadian Cyprian Diaz, the man accused of shooting the  couple to death. But after the court appearance in which Diaz failed to appear,  Paris-Celestine said she did not want to make a comment on the person who  allegedly killed her son and Trinidadian daughter-in-law on June 17 at 54th  and Arch Street, West Philadelphia. “I have so many feelings that I don’t  want to say right now.  He took my only child.  Why did he have to do that?” she asked. Eugene and Pramatee Celestine were buried at St Michael’s Cemetery, East Elmhurst,  Long Island, following a funeral service at St Gabriel’s RC Church, also in  East Elmhurst.  Soon after the burial, Paris-Celestine, who did not want her photo taken  left for Philadelphia, and armed with a trolley filled with several travelling bags, Paris-Celestine entered Judge Seamus Mc Caffery’s courtroom just after 10pm with her son’s godmother,  Valerie Desir. They sat together unwittingly in the area that  was plainly marked out for policemen, lawyers and members of the press.

Paris-Celestine, a nurse by profession, later told Newsday she did not know  Diaz, only heard of him.  She went on to say that Diaz was “sharing a space”  with her son and daughter-in-law at 54th and Arch Street, West Philadelphia  under an agreement.  The woman, however, could not say what the agreement  was, but stressed:  “Knowing my son, he would know that he (Diaz) is the  father of the two boy children.” Philadelphia police also confirmed that Diaz, his former common-law-wife and  Eugene Celestine all lived together at one time,  but they could not say if the three were living at the same apartment at the time of the killings.   One detective said Diaz left Trinidad May 9, 2001, and came to Philadelphia  from New York in September 2002. The detective said he could not say where Diaz was during the period, but pointed out that checks have confirmed that he was not deported from the  USA. He said when Diaz came to Philadelphia he stayed with Pramatee  and Eugene, who got married in December of 2002. Assistant District Attorney Mark Gilson also said the prosecution had been  informed that all three were living together. “It’s strange that husband  and wife are living together with children’s father then they are both  killed in front of the two children,” Gilson said after the court hearing. The Philadelphia lawman added that sometime after Diaz moved in,  something went wrong and that Pramatee was going to close a restaurant they  had at the end of the month. Diaz’s twin brother, Felix Diaz said that  the restaurant started as a result of benefits his brother earned after his retirement as a watchman at the Tunapuna County Council approximately five years ago. But Paris-Celestine said yesterday the restaurant was owned by two people including Pramatee and another person.  She said neither Diaz nor her son was the other person. She added that she was aware  her son and daughter-in-law had their “ups and downs” but she said she was convinced that Eugene loved  his wife and her two children, Michael and Randy.

Asked if she was against the marriage, Paris-Celestine said:  “He was my  only child.  I supported the marriage.  What could I do?”  She said she  last saw her son in April at a family gathering in New York, but that  Pramatee was not there.  Asked if she and Pramatee had a good relationship, Paris-Celestine would only say:  “We met each other and I was at the  wedding.”  She also said the wedding between Eugene and Parmatee was legal and performed by a Minister, and pointed out that she never knew Pramatee  had other children. Paris-Celestine went on to describe her son as  a good child, one who helped  anyone including elderly people off buses.  She also said he was involved  with several community groups and at one time was an auxillary policeman in  New York. “He came from a good family, loving parents and people with good hearts,” she said. Paris-Celestine added that she is not in a position to care for  Michael and Randy since she now wears a back brace and walks with a cane  following a car accident in New York in March 2001. “It was an effort today  but I had to see the person who killed my son,” she said.  A custody hearing will be heard today at the Family Court in Philadelphia.