Maxi driver murdered

TUNAPUNA maxi taxi driver Ronald Lewis yesterday morning became this nation’s 253rd murder victim. An unidentified body found in Couva later yesterday afternoon but believed murdered the night before is victim 252. Lewis’ last words were “Ramesh, bandits, bandits, call the neighbours,”  but before the conductor (Ramesh) could respond Lewis, 30, the driver of a red-band maxi named “Spoil Brat” stumbled out his Fairley Street, Tunapuna home and collapsed dead on a piece of concrete at the back of his maxi with stab wounds to his stomach, back and shoulder.

According to reports around 12.45 am Lewis, a Seventh-Day Adventist returned home to change his clothes for a party after working his evening run. Because of his religion he did not work between 6 pm on Friday and 6 pm on Saturday. As he entered his home the screams were heard and then he stumbled out. Unsure if Lewis, was still alive, the conductor flagged down a car and rushed the body to the Tunapuna police station where officers deemed the motionless man dead. The DMO was contacted and he ordered the body removed to the Forensic Science Centre for an autopsy today.
When Newsday visited the family, his elder brother Richard said that his brother came home to get a change of clothes, took off his jersey and did not have time to put on the light when he was attacked.

“I believed my brother surprised the bandit or bandits and they reacted. From what we see and have been able to deduce this was done by someone around who became frightened when Ronald came in the door. “One thing is for sure we will get to the bottom of this.” The house was completely ransacked. Missing was a television set, a microwave oven and a DVD screen, the brother could not determine if money was also taken. Residents claimed they saw nothing, but heard the footsteps of someone running away at the back of the house after Lewis screamed. Part of the wire fence to the back of the house where the killer escaped was found broken to the ground.

Several fellow maxi taxi drivers, some who worked on the road with Ronald a few hours before also expressed shock. They said ‘“Spoil Brat’ was the coolest of maxi taxi drivers, he was never in a hurry. “If he made $600 or $60 a day he was satisfied with that. He was a friend to everyone he met. “His murder is a sad, unwarranted loss.” Police have ruled the incident as a robbery gone wrong. Sgt Don Lezama is continuing inquiries.