Body found in Wallerfield bushes

MARK GUERRA, alias Abdul Halil, 35, the main suspect  in the 1989 shooting at a car transporting former First Lady Zalayhar Hassanali around the Queen’s Park Savannah, was gunned down in Wallerfield around 6.10 pm on Sunday. His bullet riddled body was discovered in a forested area known as Block Three.

The body bore bullet wounds to the head and back of the head. Guerra is the 52nd person to be killed for the year so far. Guerra was never charged with the 1989 offence but he was questioned by now deceased Deputy Police Commissioner Selwyn Headley. The file on the shooting was sent to the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions but was sent back for further investigations. Guerra, a father of 14, was employed as a Special Project Supervisor with the Unemployment Relief Programme (URP). Local Government Minister Jarette Narine said yesterday he did not know Guerra personally, but he knew that he was employed in the Programme last year as a coordinator. He was promoted to Special Project Supervisor for the Morvant/Laventille district. Narine claimed he learned of the death only from the radio news. According to reports, Guerra was one of the persons who met with Prime Minister Patrick Manning a few months ago to discuss gang-related killings in Laventille.

Guerra, who had described himself as a community leader, had put forward proposals to the Prime Miniter to deal with the killings. He was described by the police yesterday as a gang leader who distributed guns to teenagers to carry out crimes, a high ranking member of the Jamaat Al Muslimeen, a close associate of Muslimeen leader Abu Bakr and a suspect in several murders. Guerra was also a deportee. He lived at John John with his wife and eight of his 14 children. Reports revealed that around 7 pm on Sunday, officers of the Arima Police Station received a report of a shooting in Wallerfield. Officers led by ASP Moore and including Sgt Moses, Cpl Jones and others went to Plot 35, Block Three, Wallerfield, where they saw a BMW, registration number PBL 3311 parked on the western side of the roadway with several bullet holes.

Hayden Scott, 32, and Marvin Pierre, 34, were interviewed by the police and claimed that around 6.30 pm on Sunday an unknown vehicle with three occupants fired several shots at Guerra’s vehicle. They claimed that they along with Guerra fled into bushes in a bid to escape. Almost an hour later, they managed to walk out of the bushes, but Guerra was nowhere in sight. Police officers using trackers dogs combed several forested areas in Wallerfield in search of Guerra. His body was discovered around 2 am yesterday. It was viewed by District Medical Officer Dr Emmanuel Hosein who ordered its removal to the Forensic Science Centre. The bullet riddled car was towed to the Malabar Police Station and was checked for prints.

Newsday learned that a cell phone belonging to one of the suspects was discovered near the scene of the shooting death. When Newsday visited Guerra’s sprawling mansion in John John yesterday relatives said they were too distraught to speak. Jamaat Al Muslimeen Leader Yasin Abu Bakr said yesterday that the Jamaat wishes to urge its membership and those who are otherwise aggrieved to exercise restraint and calm at this time of intense grief and anger, due to the slaughter of one of its own. He added that the Jamaat was now urging members to desist from participating in speculation and rumour mongering as it relates to the matter. “We will do all in our power to assist the police,” said Bakr.