Malabar murder suspect killed in police operation

The man has been identified as 22-year-old Kendall Garcia, alias Sausage, who had addresses in Maturita and Valencia. He was detained by police hours after the murders of Rose Mohammed and 13-year-old Vedesh Subar at Ajim Baksh Street, Malabar.

Mohammed and Subar were found with their throats slit at the woman’s home. Garcia and two others were detained by police but he was later released pending further investigations after he was not pointed out in an identification parade. Yesterday, Senior Supt Mc Donald Jacob said Garcia was known to the police and was a suspect in several crimes including robberies and gun-related offences.

Garcia was shot to death during the police exercise which began at about 4.30 am. Members of the Central Division Task Force went to Orange Field Road, Carapichaima to execute a search warrant when two men ran out of an apartment and into some nearby bushes. Police ran after the men and were allegedly shot at by Garcia. The lawmen returned fire and Garcia was hit several times. He was taken to the Chaguanas Health Facility but was pronounced dead on arrival. The second suspect escaped. Police allegedly found a pistol with several rounds of ammunition close to where Garcia was shot. They also returned to the apartment where they detained four people and seized a quantity of drugs.

The four included a 19-year-old man, a 19-year-old woman and a 20-year-old man.

Sources revealed yesterday a 25-year-old man of Sangre Grande and a 54-year-old male relative of Mohammed remained in custody for further questioning.

The Sangre Grande man was detained last week at Pinto Road, Arima, while Mohammed’s relative was taken into custody on Sunday night.

Police are working on information that Mohammed may have been murdered over an ongoing land dispute and that people were hired to kill her. Homicide Bureau members are expected to approach the Director of Public Prosecutions soon on the matter.