Senior Reporter
kevon.felmine@guardian.co.tt
His family’s prayers and offer of a reward for the safe return of the TT RideShare driver were all in vain as his bloated corpse was found in the Penal forest yesterday.
The discovery was made after searches by Hunters Search and Rescue (HSR), the Anti-Kidnapping Unit, relatives, friends and Charles’ colleagues from Trinidad Systems Limited.
Searches focused on an area off Ramlal Trace Extension, where Charles, 32, of Indian Walk, Moruga, dropped off a passenger before he went missing last Tuesday.
HSR Captain Vallence Rambharat said the search began around 8 am in the hilly forested terrain. As they ascended a hill around 9.20 am, they found a corpse with clothes similar to what Charles was wearing when he went missing.
Police said the body was clad in a grey polo shirt, long blue jeans, black socks and blue slippers with the hands bound in front with tie straps.
Snr Supt Sean Dhilpaul and Supt Steve Persad led a team of detectives from the Homicide Bureau of Investigations: Region Three to the scene for further enquiries.
Rambharat said the HSR asked the police for assistance to cover the area as part of their search based on information they received.
“We just followed the road. We met the last house and entered the forest. It was about 1000 metres away from where the body was located.
“I think the theory must be that he legitimately went to pick up a passenger in San Fernando and bring them to this area, and while here, something occurred that would have resulted in his death,” Rambharat said.
Relatives reported Charles missing last Wednesday after he did not return home and all calls to his phone after 9 pm went to voicemail.
Police said he left home around 6 am Tuesday in his white Toyota Yaris Cross SUV for work in Port-of-Spain. His parents said he called around 1.30 pm and told his mother, Margaret, he was taking up his second job as a RideShare driver.
He was expected home at 7 pm, but when he did not return, his parents began calling his phone, which went unanswered.
Investigators said someone made a $500 withdrawal from Charles’ bank account at an ATM at a Quikshoppe in Port-of-Spain around 8.30 pm that night. Police recovered his car in Valencia the following day.
Charles purchased the SUV three months ago. His brother, Ronande, said when he finished work in Port-of-Spain he worked as a TTRS driver to make some extra money.
Ronande said TTRS drivers share their location with others if they feel unsafe during a job but the platform is safer for the passengers than the drivers who must provide a certificate of character, proof of address and identification to join the service.
“That is something that should be implemented moving forward, so this can never happen again to somebody who is coming out to make an honest dollar to provide for their families,” he said.
“To the persons who did this, I just want you all to know that you all left somebody with two children to see about without a father.
“I do not know how that will make you all feel, but as a human that will never make somebody feel good. Just as those children have parents and a father, you all do too, and justice will be served.”