(Trinidad Guardian) While police are blaming drug-related violence for the deaths of three men on Saturday, relatives of Ricardo Singh, one of the slain men, say they have no idea why he was killed. Speaking at the family’s Boy’s Lane Extension, D’Abadie home yesterday, relatives said Singh, 23, was a father of a five-year-old daughter and described him as “cool.”
Singh was killed along with his best friend, 22-year-old Kevin Plaza and Plaza’s father Frank Joseph.
But while speaking with the T&T Guardian, a man who is believed to be related to one of the murdered men fired shots in the air in anguish before fleeing. Already reeling in pain knowing that two gunmen had killed their loved one, relatives had to be further consoled following the shooter’s version of a gun salute. The relatives, mostly women, said Singh, alias “Short Boss,” was not involved in criminal activity.
Police reports are that around 3.20 pm Saturday, Joseph, who relatives said lived Morvant, Plaza and his uncle Roger Plaza, both of Boy’s Lane, and Singh were attacked by two heavily armed men at John Lane, D’Abadie. The shooters then escaped in a white Nissan Tiida which had no license plate.
Singh died at the Arima Health Facility, while Joseph and Plaza died at the scene. Roger Plaza, police said, was grazed on the head and was yesterday listed as satisfactory at the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex (EWMSC), Mt Hope, along with Searle Debisette-Noray, who was shot in the leg by a stray bullet.
Relatives of Plaza and Joseph were too emotional to speak when approached at their home. One relative said she hopes the police can catch the men who stole the “big set ah gold” from the deceased, insinuating that robbery may have been a motive for the killings.
The triple murder disrupted the wedding ceremony and reception for a couple whose relatives were forced to prepare a meal of pelau to feed guests on Saturday, as the caterer was not allowed beyond the police caution tape.
The couple themselves and the officiating minister also had to beg officers to get past the tape so that they could get married after arriving in the community. The T&T Guardian was also informed that Plaza was supposed to have driven the couple to take their wedding photos.
Fake murders reports
While investigators attached to the Northern Division were following up on the murder, they were bombarded with WhatsApp messages of fake crimes in the area. Officers said they received countless messages via social media about murders and shootings, one supposedly involving the cousin of a professional league footballer.
The T&T Guardian was informed that the fake messages were being used to gauge police response time. Asked about this yesterday, head of the Northern Division, Snr Supt Mc Donald Jacob, said those who were responsible for the messages were wasting time and increasing the fear of crime. He called on the culprits to stop.
“They will buss in their attempt to guess our average. These messages are a waste of time and is not doing anyone any good,” Jacob said, adding that none of the reports were telephoned into the of the stations or emergency units making it almost impossible to trace.
