Father of 14 charged with kidnapping sisters

BAIL was denied to a 50-year-old father of 14, who appeared before a Point Fortin magistrate yesterday charged with kidnapping Cap-de-Ville sisters Nilla and Onessa Anthony, aged 11 and nine respectively. Alston Sanchez, of Cap-de-Ville, was arrested Tuesday in a shed adjacent to a Baptist church in Point Fortin. He appeared before Senior Magis-trate Herbert Charles in the First Court. According to the charges, Sanchez allegedly kidnapped the sisters at Quarry Road in Siparia. He was not called on to plead since the charges were laid indictably. The kidnapping of the sisters was reported by their mother Mary, when they went missing after leaving their home Saturday with a friend of the family, to buy ice-cream at a nearby park.

The following day, the girls’ stepfather, Terrence Haynes, allegedly saw them in a car in Siparia with the family friend. On Tuesday, police allegedly found the sisters in a Baptist church at New Village. Court prosecutor Sgt Rohan Pardasie objected to bail on the grounds the defendant was not “traced” to see if he had any outstanding court matters and/or a criminal record; the seriousness of the offences and that the defendant could face additional charges arising out of the alleged incident. The magistrate upheld the objection and denied Sanchez bail. The matter was also transferred to the Siparia Magis-trates’ Court where Sanchez will reappear tomorrow.