A miner and dredge owner were arrested after a 28-year-old Venezuelan woman was found raped and murdered at a mining camp at Big Hope Backdam, Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni).
The dead woman has been identified as Dimas Emilia Lezama Fermin of San Felix, Venezuela. She was employed as a cook at the mining camp.
It is suspected that she was sexually assaulted and killed sometime between Saturday night and Sunday morning.
According to information received, the deceased was in a relationship with a dredge owner and at about 19:30h on Saturday, the dredge owner allegedly left her at the camp cooking whilst he and the workers left to go to the landing, where they began consuming alcohol at a shop.
The miner, who is in custody, was also amongst the group, drinking. However, at about 21:30h, the miner left the gathering saying that he was going to take a bath.
At about 06:30h on Sunday, the body of the woman was found floating in a sandpit behind the camp.
A report was made to the police and on arrival at the scene, the deceased was discovered clad in a blue jersey, without any underwear. Multiple marks of violence in the form of hematoma were seen about her body, the police said.
Based on information received, the two men were arrested and are assisting with the investigation.
