(Trinidad Guardian) Villagers of Jairsingh Village in Coalmine, Sangre Grande, were in mourning last night, following the murder of school teacher Margaret Diaz-Guevara by a close relative who also attempted suicide.
Diaz-Guevara, 44, a teacher at St Francis RC School in Sangre Grande and mother of five, was reportedly dressing for work when she and her relative had an altercation. During the quarrel the relative grabbed his shotgun and firing upon her. She was hit in chest and abdomen and died on the spot. The relative then placed the gun to his forehead and pulled the trigger.
Relatives, who arrived on the scene before the police, said they found Diaz-Guevara covered with a sheet on her bed and the relative in the corner of the bedroom leaning against a wall covered in blood. The relative survived but sustained massive injuries to his face. He was warded in serious condition at the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex, Mt Hope, last night under police guard.
When the T&T Guardian visited the scene yesterday (Monday) Diaz-Guevara’s children and family were grief-stricken and being comforted by those around them.
A neighbour, who did not want to be named, said two of Diaz-Guevara’s children came running to her house around 9 am. She said they begged her to call the police because their mother was being beaten. She said she called the Sangre Grande police, but by the time they arrived Diaz-Guevara had already been killed.
The neighbour said she had heard the two arguing from early morning, adding that she believed the killing could have been prevented if the police had responded immediately.
Another villager told T&T Guardian that Diaz-Guevara, who is the sister of a police officer, was in an abuse relationship. He said although she left the home several times due to abuse, she would always return and often did not make any reports to the police.
“She returned to get her death. I am so sad on hearing the news, but it is said cats and dogs does run away, and why this good lady had to endure all the abuse until her life ends?”
St Francis RC teachers rushed to Diaz-Guevara’s home on hearing of the incident. Some wept and embraced each other at the scene and all of them were said to be in shock. The students in her class reportedly all screamed when they got the news of her death.
District Medical Officer Cortice viewed the body and ordered its removal to Sangre Grande mortuary, from where it will be taken to the Forensic Sciences Centre, St James, for an autopsy.
