Police say they have made a serious breakthrough in the kidnapping and now murder of members of the missing Brasso Seco family, after one of the five men in custody gave them information that may lead to the recovery of another body.
According to a CNC3 news report last night, the suspect gave information surrounding the disappearance of the family and in particular one of the teenage girls. On October 26, Irma Rampersad, 49, and her daughters — Felicia Gonzales, 17, a student of Malabar Secondary School, and Jenelle Gonzales, 19 — and her 14-month-old granddaughter Shania Amoroso, were abducted from their Brasso Seco home.
The following day they were reported missing by Felix Martinez, who said he awoke to find a kitchen window broken and the women and child missing. Two days later Martinez went missing but was believed to have been hunting.
Martinez’ body was found along with that of baby Shania wrapped in a sleeping bag last Saturday. An autopsy on their remains on Tuesday revealed Martinez was strangled.
The autopsy on Shania was inconclusive because of the advanced state of decomposition.
On Tuesday, the body of Rampersad was found near a tree and she too was strangled according to her autopsy.
Police are looking for an escaped prisoner, Azmon Alexander, who ran away from the Mayaro Magistrates Court on January 31 after he appeared on charges of kidnapping and robbery. Police say Alexander was reportedly hiding out in the Paria district and was assisted by residents.
On Wednesday, head of the North Eastern Division Task Force, Insp Roger Alexander, called for a bounty to be placed on Alexander’s head. He said he would be speak with acting Police Commissioner Stephen Williams on the matter. Up to last night the two had not met.
But in a telephone interview with the T&T Guardian yesterday, National Security Minister Gary Griffith said a bounty would make civilians engage in police work and that could be dangerous. He said anyone engaging criminals should be properly trained.
Griffith said, however, he would speak to Crime Stoppers for them to consider issuing a reward for any information leading to the arrest of Alexander and called on citizens to help the police arrest Alexander.