The Tribune

By EARYEL BOWLEG

Tribune Staff Reporter

ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

A MAN who returned home badly injured after an alleged attack at a bar off Faith Avenue, suffering extensive internal injuries and trauma throughout his body, died 13 days later in the hospital.

Demetrius Turnquest’s sister, Demertria, 31, said the 29-year-old was allegedly attacked by five men at a bar he frequented sometime between March 13 and March 14.

“It was bad. It was terrible,” she said of his condition.

Ms Turnquest said her brother returned home after the incident and told her and another sibling what happened.

“The quickest thing, the easiest thing to do was to call for an ambulance and try to figure out what was going on with him,” she said.

Mr Turnquest spent 13 days in critical condition on life support before he died.

Ms Turnquest said the family initially believed he might survive because he appeared to respond while in hospital.

“We had hopes that he was going to make it because, you know, when we talked to him, he would shake his head or blink his eyes or something or hold on to our hands”, she said.

She said only one suspect is in police custody, while four others remain at large.

Ms Turnquest alleged the attack stemmed from a traffic accident involving one of the suspects about ten years ago. She said the men knew each other before the accident and lived in neighbouring subdivisions.

Frustrated by what she described as limited progress in the investigation, Ms Turnquest said the family turned to social media for information and support.

“I have persons texting me and sending messages on Facebook and WhatsApp,” she said. “A lot of persons have been reaching out to me, and I’ve been gathering information.”

She said one of the alleged suspects contacted her on Sunday with information and said he wanted to clear his name.

Ms Turnquest said she gave police screenshots and voice notes, but does not know what investigators have done with them.

She also said suspicious vehicles have been seen around the family’s home, leaving relatives uneasy.

“It's been a lot of suspicious vehicles coming around the yard and stuff. The police is aware of this but never came in and said, ‘Oh, let them patrol the corner or anything of that sort’. So I feel like they're very nonchalant because it's not their family.”

Ms Turnquest said the family had already planned to relocate next year after her expected graduation from university.

She said she and her brother hoped to split their time between the United States and Canada while launching skincare manufacturing businesses.

She described her brother, a freelance construction worker who also worked at fast-food restaurants, as a source of support for her business plans.

Ms Turnquest said his death devastated the family because it was unexpected.

Mr Turnquest had no children.

The Tribune contacted police for comment, but none was received up to press time.