Ronald John kidnapped again

On Wednesday night John, a psychologist, was snatched from his Woodbrook home in what appeared to be a replay of the events of last October 2 when he was held at his home.

Then, police found him unharmed and tied up in a house in Cascade two days later. His kidnappers had demanded $2 million for his safe return.

In this latest kidnapping, however, John’s kidnappers are asking for $5 million. They had initially asked for $8 million when they made the first call which came hours after John had received flowers from a "secret admirer".

Police said the flowers came from a Port-of-Spain store and after the flowers arrived someone contacted John on his cellphone asking him if he liked the flowers. The number that showed up was traced to a phone booth.

John is now the ninth person to be kidnapped for ransom for the year and lawmen have confirmed he is the first person to be kidnapped twice within the last seven years. Police could not say what happened before that time. Police believe that money is the motive but Carlos John said he suspected that the second kidnapping might be related to the fact that John is appearing as a police witness in the trial of five men who have been charged with his first kidnapping.

Two days ago John appeared at the Port-of-Spain Magistrate’s Court as one of three witnesses in the case in which five people have been charged with his first kidnapping. The case is due to be called again on April 1.

Preliminary reports are that John arrived on Wednesday night at his Petra Street home around 10pm in his Honda CRV vehicle. Mere moments after, police said a white Nissan B13 Sentra vehicle pulled alongside him.

Police said two armed men then jumped out of the vehicle and forced John into it. The kidnappers, suspected by the police to have been following John, then drove east along Ariapita Avenue.

However, police said a vehicle bearing the same registration number, was intercepted by army and police personnel in a roadblock on the Eastern Main Road, in the vicinity of Coconut Growers Association. A 29-year-old Morvant man was arrested, but police said he has given no information relative to the John kidnapping. He was in police custody up to late evening and the whereabouts of John were still unknown.

After the kidnapping, police said a neighbour contacted Carlos John, saying that his brother had been kidnapped. The UNC member confirmed that the neighbour called him and that the kidnapping has the entire John family upset and traumatised. "It’s a state of anxiety for everyone," he said. "I am also worried about my parents, who are 88 and 89."

John’s father, Carlton, said they were hoping and praying that the worst does not happen. He said his sons, Stanley (Appeal Court Judge) and Carlos were disturbed and worried and were trying their best to see what could happen. The elderly man also said that his children told him the kidnappers asked for "some millions". Police sources also said John did not have bodyguards at the time he was snatched. However, John was spotted at an all-inclusive fete last month with three police officers at his side. Interviewed then, John said that the officers were there to protect him.

At his apartment yesterday, neighbours refused comment, but an elderly woman said it was the first time she had seen the gates to John’s apartment closed.

The AKS, headed by Sr Supt Gilbert Reyes and including ASP Henry Millington, along with members of the Western Division are continuing enquiries.