Hours after a wanted bulletin was issued for Cuban national, Joel Rodriguez Barientos in connection with the murder of his partner and her daughter, he was nabbed by law enforcement officials at Amelia’s Ward, Linden.
According to police information, the 27-year-old labourer was arrested on Sunday night and is in custody at the Mackenzie Police Station.
Barientos was on the run after he allegedly murdered his 34-year-old Guyanese partner Tara Krishnaran and her 11-year-old daughter, Larissa Singh sometime between Christmas Day and in evening of Boxing Day, at their Princes Street, Lodge, Georgetown home.
Their bodies were discovered at about 21:00h on Boxing Day.
Based on initial reports received, the father of the dead woman told police that the suspect and his daughter were heard arguing at about 17:30h on December 25. This was followed by a scuffle between them. However, the man did not take it seriously since the couple would normally fight and as such, he retired to bed.
At about 08:00h on December 26, the father woke up but did not check on his daughter and granddaughter since he thought that she went to work and took her daughter.
Nevertheless, at about 20:30h, the man went to his daughter’s room to check on them but it was then the gruesome discovery was made. Both the mother and daughter were lying motionless on a bed and ground, respectively.
A wound was discovered at the back of the woman’s head, left side temple and left side of the face while the child sustained a stab wound to her neck. It is suspected that she was also raped. A blood-stained hammer and a knife were retrieved from the scene.
At the home of the dead woman on Sunday, her brother Amar Krishnaran narrated what he was told happened to his sister and niece.
“Normally when they go to work, they does make he [the father’s] food and put it on the table…he didn’t see the food on the table and didn’t know what happened…as the time was going by during the day, he didn’t see the little girl coming out to feed the puppy…”, he said.
Amar said the father waited for hours for his daughter and he did not see her or the child come in, so he decided to go to the room to check.
“He went and pull the blind and he saw my niece lying on the ground right there… she was motionless and the room was dark so whatever glimpse he saw of the mother on the bed that was it… so he took his foot and touched her [the child’s] hand and there were no movements”, the tearful man said. It was then the 69-year-old man realised that something was amiss.
He tried to make his way to the door to get help, and realised that the doors were locked from the outside and the keys were missing. After realising this, the man slowly managed to get his phone and called relatives to the scene.
Inews understands that the Krishnaran and the man were living together for about 10 months, and have been dating for about a year. They worked at the same establishment in Georgetown.
