Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago: Ongoing extensive efforts to solve murders and take firearms out of the hands of criminals continue to bear fruit, with the arrest and charging of four individuals in connection with two separate murders and the seizure of several firearms and quantities of ammunition this week.
GARY ST. HILLAIRE, aka ‘Gary Boy’, 22, MALCOLM CAMPBELL, aka ‘Gabriel’, 22 and TEVIN CELESTINE, 32, all of Maraval, were arrested by officers of the Homicide Bureau of Investigations (HBI) Region One and Western Division Task Force (WDTF), on Friday, August 4th, 2023.
They were wanted in connection with the death of 18-year-old Roger Celestine and the wounding of a male victim, on Thursday, August 3rd, 2023, in the Maraval district.
Celestine was in the company of other persons at his Paramin home when they were accosted by armed men who shot at them. The victim died at the scene, while another man was treated at the hospital.
Investigations into the incident were supervised by W/ASP (Ag.) Bridglal, Insp. Lynch and Cpl (Ag.) Subiah, all of HBI Region One, with the assistance of officers of the WDTF.
The trio was charged by PC Lewis, also attached to HBI Region One, on Thursday, August 10th, 2023, following advice received from Acting Director of Public Prosecutions Joan Honore-Paul, on that same date, to charge them with the offences of Murder and Attempted Murder.
The accused are excepted to appear before a Port of Spain Magistrate today, Friday, August 11th, 2023, to answer the charges.
Meanwhile, KAREEM BALGOBIN, 22, of Point Fortin, appeared in the Point Fortin Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, August 9th, 2023, charged with the murder of Tevin Stefon Francois on June 28th 2023.
The matter was adjourned to Friday, August 21st, 2023. Balgobin was charged by PC Ramnarine of HBI Region Three on Tuesday, August 8th, 2023, following advice received from Deputy DPP Joan Honore-Paul on that same date.
Reports indicate that on Wednesday, June 28th, 2023, officers found the victim’s lifeless body with wounds to his head and face at Mc Kenzie Fields Road, Point Fortin.
Supt supervised investigations into the matter. Dhillpaul and Sgt. Jones of HBI Region Three. Balgobin is the second person charged in connection with this murder.
Officers previously charged 28-year-old Yunus Ali of Cedros with the offence on July 21st, 2023. Two firearms and ammunition were seized overnight during ongoing anti-crime exercises conducted nationwide.
In the Eastern Division, the Valencia Criminal Investigations Department and Special Operations Unit officers conducted an exercise between 2 am and 4 am on Friday, 11th August 2023.
During the exercise, officers executed a search warrant at the home of a 23-year-old suspect. The search resulted in officers finding one pistol, an extended magazine and eleven rounds of ammunition.
And in the North Eastern Division, officers conducted an exercise between 10:30 am and 2 pm on Thursday, August 10th, 2023, and arrested a 29-year-old Laventille man.
A search of the suspect resulted in officers finding one loaded revolver in his possession. Investigations are ongoing into the above finds.
The Trinidad and Tobago Police Service thanks members of the public for their assistance in sharing the necessary information to make these exercises successful.
