The Tribune

By EARYEL BOWLEG

Tribune Staff Reporter

ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

A MAN accused of five murders will face court today over a series of killings dating back to 2018.

The appearance comes as the country faces a fresh wave of homicides, with five men killed in separate incidents over the Independence Day holiday weekend.

Police suspect some of the crimes are linked and are the result of retaliation between “rival” groups – with the first homicide taking place on Thursday.

The court appearances today will see six suspects in court today for several murders, including a 25-year-old man accused of five killings — two of which were double homicides.

The latest murder took place last night before 6pm, in the area of East Street opposite Coconut Grove Avenue.

Assistant Superintendent Audley Peters said responding officers arrived at a car wash in the area and were directed to a man who was lying there with apparent gunshot wounds. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

ASP Peters said police were told that a group of people were under a shelter at the car wash when a small dark car approached. A man got out of the car and fired shots at the group, fatally wounding the victim.

Another man was killed after 10pm on Sunday, July 11, at Arawak Cay.

Responding officers saw a male victim who was alert and suffering from apparent gunshot wounds.

An initial investigation revealed the victim was approached by a man who produced a handgun and shot the weapon in his direction. The victim was hit about the body several times.

Emergency Medical Services took him to the hospital, where he later died.

Two other killings took place on Independence Day.

Shortly before 7am on July 10, police were alerted to a shooting incident that happened on Palmetto Road, Sunset Park.

A man was found lying in the street with apparent gunshot wounds. He was also taken to hospital and pronounced dead once there.

In the second incident on July 10, police were called to a shooting in Ridgeland Park west shortly after 9pm.

Officers found a man lying in the parking lot of an apartment complex on Berkley Street with wounds consistent with gunshots. EMS pronounced the man dead at the scene.

Last week, police also said a man died in hospital after he was shot outside his home in Flamingo Gardens on Thursday night.

In a statement issued last night, Commissioner of Police Paul Rolle said officers have reason to believe that Thursday’s killing and the homicide that later occurred in Sunset Park are related. A 29-year-old male resident of Jubilee Gardens has been taken into custody as police continue their investigations into those incidents. He is expected to be charged later in the week.

“The third murder that occurred in Ridgeland Park west is related to the murder that occurred in First Street, Coconut Grove, last week between two rival groups,” police said. “In respect to the murder at Arawak Cay last night (Sunday), the quick response by the police on duty at the cay resulted in the arrest of a male suspect and the recovery of a 9mm pistol following a chase. He is expected to be charged later in the week.”

Police will also bring several suspects to court today to face murder charges.

One of them is a 26-year-old man who is expected to be charged for the murder of Dwayne Cargill, who was murdered on June 28 on Pine Barren Road.

Police will also charge a 25-year-old male resident of Pinewood Gardens for five killings: the murders of George Deveaux and Ashley Hilton, which occurred at Sandilands Rehabilitation Centre compound on December 3, 2018; the murder of Ian Porter, aka “Irey”, and Raymond Adderley which occurred June 29, 2019 and the murder of Anniko Strachan, which occurred on October 20, 2019.

A 20-year-old Nassau Village man, a 22-year-old Pinewood Gardens man and a 34-year-old Springfield Street man will be charged for the murder of Anniko Strachan on October 20, 2019, police said.

The last suspect expected to face charges today is a 17-year-old boy charged with the murder of Alfred Bastian, aka “Half Man,” who was killed on December 3, 2020.

Last night, ASP Peters said the recent rash in homicides is concerning.

“We are concerned about all of these incidents that are occurring,” he said “However, we are also encouraged by the information we’re receiving from the members of the public, and we are making good headway with respect to the previous incidents that occurred, and we look forward to giving some information to the media in due course.”

Asked if CCTV will be helpful in assisting police with the recent homicide investigations, he said police will look into this avenue, but added that some of the cameras are not in operation.

“It’s common knowledge that some of them are not operable due to whatever incidents with outage and so forth that maybe power may go down and so if they’re operable, we can look forward to getting information from them,” he said.

Anyone with information on these incidents or any other crime is asked to call the Criminal Investigations Department at 502-9991/2, Crime Stoppers at 328-TIPS (8477) or the nearest police station.