A 27-year-old man was killed and his father seriously injured during an attempted robbery in Carlsen Field yesterday morning.
Police said four masked men armed with guns entered the house of Matthew Perez Christian between 5.30 and 6 am through a back entrance and demanded money.
A close relative, who asked not to be named, told Guardian Media that Christian and his son Christopher attempted to push the bandits out of the house and fight them off. During the struggle, Christopher was shot in the chest and died in the living room. The father was also shot.
The bandits then fled.
The elder Christian was taken to the Chaguanas Health Centre by the police and then transferred to the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Centre in an ambulance for further treatment.
Christopher’s mother Lynette Frankie, was in a state of disbelief at the scene while his girlfriend Gita Sookdeo cried openly as she got the bad news. Christopher worked on the farm with his father.
The family sells meat and operates out of the St James Market, where Christian is known as Perez the “beef man”.
Shiraz Khan, president of the Trinidad Unified Farmers Association and a neighbour of the victims, said it was time farmers got firearms to protect themselves. He said armed bandits broke into his home in March. An angry and visually upset Khan said he was fed up with the “old talk.” He said there have been about 20 robberies in recent times in Carlsen Field. Khan said bandits have graduated from beating their victims in Carlsen Field to killing them.
“We have been talking to police, we have been going on the media and complaining and not one (expletive) thing has been done around here. No police patrol. Imagine 20 robberies and nobody eh get hold, look at where it reach today, now murder in Carlsen Field. I have to hear my neighbour, them children does be working so (expletive) hard, you understand, now get up to do their work 5.30 am and this is what have to happen boy.
“My place was break open on March 8, I now leave to go to Mosque, since the 8th of March is only robbery, robbery, robbery one after the other. They beat up Mr Lakhan out the road there. Police come and we ent getting no patrols.”
Khan said enough is enough.
“We have to start to protest and block the road and ask for firearms, we want firearms.”
Another resident Brichnu Dass, 65, said he wants to leave the area.
“I scared, I uptight I don’t know if I could make it here again.”
The investigation into the incident is being conducted by officers from the Freeport Police Station and Homicide Bureau South.