Having committed no crime, faced no judge or jury, an Arima family is now in jail. Unlike the Maximum Security Prison, their holding cells are not located behind high walls and barbed wire fences but their own home.
Forced to remain inside, their doors locked and travelling in packs of at least three when they do venture outside, the Charles family at Goat Hill, Arima, yesterday said that since their cousin Azmon Alexander was named the main suspect in the disappearance and murder of members of a Brasso Seco family and their neighbour, they stay indoors.
Speaking at their home yesterday the family, mostly female, said: “Is like we living in jail. Up here used to be so nice, the place not safe again because it have criminals on the run.“We scared, everybody just scared and disappointed about the whole thing.”
The criminals, they claim, include Alexander, who has eluded capture since January 31 when he escaped from the Mayaro Magistrates Court when he had appeared on kidnapping and robbery charges.
Alexander is wanted in connection with the abduction of a Brasso Seco family and their neighbour and the murders of two family members and their neighbour.
On October 26, Irma Rampersad, 49, her daughters—Felicia, 17, and Jennelle 19—and Jenelle’s 14-month-old daughter Shania Amorosso were snatched from their Bleu Road, Brasso Seco, home.
A few days after they were reported missing, their neighbour, Felix Martinez, 52, also went missing but residents thought he had gone hunting.
The family said after their 17-year-old relative was arrested by police in connection with the disappearance and murder, they have been afraid of strange cars passing.
The family said during the day they stay indoors and only go outside to entertain the media, whenever they come. The family asked that their home not be photographed.
Suspect’s mother speaks
The mother of the 17-year-old who surrendered to police one day after the two sisters were rescued said her son showed up frightened and dirty. The 38-year-old mother of five said her son was not seen or heard from days before he surfaced, muddy and tired. The woman had two sons arrested in connection with the abduction of the five and murder of the three. The older son, who is 19, a man and a woman were released on Tuesday.
Yesterday she said she is tired. She said the entire ordeal has left her drained and she no longer finds joy in life. “My sister tell me look (name called) and I didn’t believe because he was in Paria.
“He was missing for a while and we thought something had happen to him and we prayed he would come out safe. “He come to the back of the house and when I look I see my son dragging. He was crying. I was in shock,” the woman said of her last encounter with her child. The woman said her son told her to call the police and told the entire family not to go outside, especially his little nieces and cousins.
After a meal of rice and stewed beef with potatoes, the teen took a bath and was picked up by the police. Since then he has been at the Arima Police Station assisting officers with their investigations.
The woman said she was hurt to learn what happened to Rampersad and her family, since she worked with both her and Gail, Rampersad’s firstborn. “This is not real. This is like a movie. I can’t come to pass with this at all,” she said, adding that everything is now in God’s hands.