First murder recorded for 2017

A male relative who went into the yard, spotted Winters’ body on the ground and raised an alarm.

Officers of the Arouca Police Station were alerted as well as the District Medical Officer. The body was ordered removed to the Forensic Science Centre for an autopsy to be done tomorrow. Yesterday, head of the Northern Division Senior Superintendent MacDonald Jacob told Newsday that despite the first murder being recorded in his division, he wanted to thank all his officers who came out on Old Year’s Night to ensure that crime was kept at a minimum.

He said that Acting Commissioner of Police Stephen Williams rang in the New Year with him and other officers on duty in the Division.

According to Jacob, the Acting CoP even went on patrol with his subordinates and assisted in the coordination of the anti-crime drive between Old Year’s Night and New Year’s morning.

Hours earlier, 2016 ended with a murder taking place at 10.30 pm on Saturday - the 462nd murder for that year. Princes Town resident Akim Gonzales, 21, was found dead with multiple gunshot wounds near a dump in San Fernando.

Police said that at 10.30 pm on Saturday, several gunshots were heard along Lady Hailes Avenue in San Fernando. Gonzales’ aunt, whom he was visiting at the time, together with other relatives were alerted to the shooting and went to the dump area. According to the report, relatives eventually reached an area overgrown with bushes behind the dump site where they saw his body face down near a shack.

Gonzales who was unemployed, lived at Gunness Circular in Princes Town.

(Additional reporting by LAUREL V. WILLIAMS)