Man murdered in Santa Cruz

He has been identified as John Audrey.

Police are working on the theory that Audrey was killed when gunmen tried to rob him. According to reports, the Santa Cruz man completed his duties at the Villa Cruz bar on Akar Trace and was closing up the bar at about 1 am. He went to his car which, residents said, was a short distance from the bar.

Several gunshots were heard.

Aubrey was taken to the Port of Spain General Hospital where he died at about 4 am while undergoing emergency surgery.

While relatives were not willing to speak when Newsday visited yesterday, one resident said he had a short conversation with Audrey moments before he was shot. The resident said Audrey gave him two cigarettes and a shot of puncheon rum before closing the bar.

Homicide detectives believe that Audrey had a quantity of money which represented the day’s sales at the bar. Police are hoping to view camera footage to assist them in identifying the killer or killers.

The murder toll for the year now stands at 154.