A male and female sustained gunshot wounds in Castries city around 11:20 p.m. Friday night (July 11).

The male, known so far as Cocoy from Conway, Castries, was reportedly shot in the vicinity of the Soufriere bus stop, but ran and collapsed by the St. Lucia Marketing Board area.

He died on the spot.

The female was reportedly an innocent bystander who got shot in the arm. She was hospitalised. Her condition is unknown at this time.

St. Lucia News Online also understands that a female was stabbed in the vicinity of the Gros Islet bus stop in Castries while the body from the shooting near the Marketing Board was on the ground.

Reports are that the female was bleeding from the neck area. She was taken to hospital by ambulance. Her condition is unknown at this time.

It is alleged that the woman was attacked by a group of “girls and fellas”, according to sources.

Vinton Clement

Residents in Faux-A-Chaud, Castries are blaming this morning’s homicide on gang warfare.

The latest victim is 30-year-old Vinton Stephen Clement, also known as Tanny, a security guard.

Clement was shot when two masked men entered an area known as the “Slab” in Faux-A-Chaud, firing shots randomly around 12:57 a.m.

Clement, who was among a group of people socialising outside their homes, was hit. He was pronounced dead at hospital.

MORE DETAILS IN A FEW

Kasha Theophane (right) and her brother Danny Theophane who was gunned down Friday night.

The sister of a 19-year-old man who was fatally shot Friday night in Castries city, said her brother may have “felt his death” earlier that day.

Danny Theophane, aka Cocoy, a resident of Conway, Castries, was shot as he walked in the vicinity of the Soufriere bus stop at about 11:20 p.m. He ran and collapsed by the St. Lucia Marketing Board where he died. A female bystander sustained a gunshot wound to the arm.

Kasha Theophane told St. Lucia News Online this evening (July 12), that she was at home when she heard the gunshots.

“When I went outside somebody tell me it’s him (Danny) then I saw him on the ground, but the police told me to stand back,” she said.

Kasha said – based on information gathered from her brother’s friends – Danny behaving strange for most of the afternoon.

She said Danny’s girlfriend offered him food and he refused it. Her brother was also not in a talkative mood.

“… Maybe he felt his death,” she said.

Later in the evening, Danny and his friends decided to attend the Gros Islet Street Party. They all went on a bus, but surprisingly Danny changed his mind, according to his sister.

“He came off the bus and told them he gonna make a round,” she said.

Kasha said about two of Danny’s friends decided to accompany him because they were concerned that he was going to travel by himself knowing that he had enemies in the vicinity.

According to Kasha, her brother’s friends were also concerned that he was taking a route near enemy territory” She said he insisted.

“He knows his enemies on the other side… sometimes there he want to pass,” she said.

Moments later shots rang out and everyone, including Danny, ran.

The wounded Danny ran as fast he could but only made it close to a bakery/Marketing Board area where he fell.

Danny “Cocoy” Theophane

When asked if her brother was a “bad boy”, Kasha said as his sister, she would always be expected to defend him. However, she did admit that Danny regularly hung with Conway “crew”, which made him a target.

She said whether or not someone is a member of a crew, once you’re seen hanging with a crew or any member of the crew, the enemies “will come at you”.

Kasha said she is not aware of her brother involved in any shootings but she said once “you’re in that type of life” anything is expected.

She also tried to explain that having born and grew up in Conway, her brother naturally became “one” with other youths in the community. She said when a neighbouring community or gang has problems with anyone from Conway, all residents, especially the males, become targets. As such, everyone would unite to defend each other.

“They were his friends,” she said.

She said her brother never attended high school. He dropped out in “standard 4 at Methodist school”.

The reason? “He was troublesome,” she said.

A 16-year-old and a female are among five persons held in custody for the murder of Yulanda Frederick.

A source close to the family told St. Lucia News Online that the teenager is among four brothers “assisting police with investigations”. The eldest brother is in his early 30s.

The female was nabbed by the police recently.

Frederick was fatally shot in Leslie Land, Castries at about 8:15 p.m. on July 1, 2014.

He was reportedly lured to the area by a female. He was subsequently ambushed and shot at least 15 times.

The four men charged for the murder of Yulanda Frederick.

Four men have been charged for the homicide of 35-year-old Yulanda Frederick of La Clery, Castries.

They are 31-year-old Samuel Khodra, 35-year-old Timothy Desmond, 25-year-old Dillan “Shattoo” Edmund and 20-year-old Daniel Khodra, all of Leslie Land, Castries.

Frederick

The men, who were also charged for unlawful possession of a firearm and unlawful possession of ammunition, were charged by the Major Crime Unit this morning, Wednesday, July 16, 2014, and brought to the First District Court in Castries shortly after.

Frederick was shot about 15 times at Leslie Land, Castries on Tuesday, July 1, 2014.

It was reported yesterday that a 16-year-old and a female were among five persons held in custody for Frederick’s murder.

A source close to the family had told St. Lucia News Online that the teenager was among four brothers “assisting police with investigations”.

From left: Clement and Theophane.

Police have arrested two persons in connection with two separate homicides that occurred last weekend.

Danny ‘Cocoy’ Theophane of Conway, Castries, was shot as he walked in the vicinity of the Soufriere bus stop on Carl Crescent Street at about 11:20 p.m. on Friday, July 11.

The 19-year-old ran and collapsed by the St. Lucia Marketing Board where he died.

In the other incident, 30-year-old security guard, Vinton Stephen Clement, also known as Tanny, was fatally shot when two masked men invaded an area called “The Slab” in Faux-A-Chaud, Castries, firing shots randomly around 12:57 a.m. on Saturday, July 12.

“In each homicide incident, one person has been arrested and is assisting police with investigations,” police said in a news release.

“On Tuesday, July, 15, 2014 post mortem examinations were conducted on the bodies of Theophane and Clement. The results indicate hemorrhagic shock secondary to gunshot wounds,” the release added.

Intelligence obtained by police suggests that the recent spate of violence and shootings in the Castries area for past two weeks is a result of criminal gangs.

That’s according to Commissioner of the Royal St Lucia Police Force (RSLPF) Vernon Francois who has made a promise to go after these criminal elements and ensure that they are brought to justice.

Francois told the media today (July 17) that the police force has developed new strategies to deal with the issue. He said that instead of conducting patrols, intelligence is being used to target specific communities believed to have these criminals. Areas such as Chaussee Road, Grave Yard and Leslie Land are major target areas.

He recalled that at the beginning of the year, the RSLPF had to deal with a similar situation in Morne Du Don.

“The force was able to tackle that through intelligence-led policing, putting together our targeted packages,” he said.

According to him, 15 arrests were made during those operations. The top cop said the same strategies will be used to rid communities of the individuals responsible for the recent shootings.

“We will not back down…we have achieved some degree of success,” he added.

Last week, the RSLPF recovered three firearms along with matching ammunition while four persons were arrested and charged for the murder of Yulanda Fredrick. In relation to the shooting of a 19-year-old male in Conway, two people have been arrested. They are likely to be charged once police investigations wrap up.

François said, “I want to warn the criminals in those areas that we are out to get them and there is not going to be any back down on our part. We are going to do everything it takes, within the laws of St. Lucia to deal with the criminal elements in our midst.” A lot of resources, he noted have been mobilised to ensure that the police are successful. There will also be a greater focus on increased police presence and patrols on streets and targeted communities.

Questioned as to whether he agrees with the statement made by National Security Minister Victor La Corbininiere that the murder of Yulanda Fredrick may have caused the upsurge in criminal activity, Francois was at first reluctant to comment. However, he added his voice by stating that the while the murder could have caused some violence, he believes it may have stemmed from communities being against each other.

Further, the top cop reiterated that the police force is doing all it can to reduce crime with limited resources.

He believes that the upsurge in crime suggests that there may be several societal issues at hand. “I want to assure St Lucians that we are doing all in our power to ensure that the criminals are arrested and charged, he reiterated.

The Police Information Office has indicate that it plans to distribute photos of the man who was floating in the Castries river yesterday afternoon.

“In yesterday’s incident, the suspected drowning victim has not been identified. I am awaiting a photo from the Scenes of Crime officers so I can distribute to members of the media,” the police noted in an email to all media houses.

The body of the male was discovered in the water near the Vieux Fort bus stand.

A bus driver told St. Lucia News Online that the man was earlier seen in the river drinking the water and throwing water on himself.

Minutes later he was seen floating and the police was called.

He was then removed from the water and eventually pronounced dead.

Another eyewitness said no one really suspected anything suspicious.

“The guy was playing all the time in the water. Nobody took him serious. Don’t know if he was trying to kill himself all the time,” the source said.

“It’s so sad because no one took him serious. I was deh. The police stood there for so long before going into the water,” the eyewitness added. “No one did CPR on the guy, just chest compressions.”

Police have confirmed the armed robbery of a hotel in the north.

Police Information Officer Aniel Innocent told St. Lucia News Online that armed men invaded the hotel, but could not provide further details at this time.

Innocent said more information will be disseminated later today.

However, a source told SNO that the culprits raided the hotel’s accounts office last night but no one was injured.

It is not clear if any cash was obtained by the culprits.

Vinton “Tanny” Clement.

A 19-year-old male was yesterday (July 17) charged for the homicide of 30-year-old Vinton “Tanny” Clement of Faux-A-Chaud, Castries.

Akim George of Hospital Road, Castries is scheduled to make a court appearance at the First District Court in Castries today Friday, (July 18).

Clement was shot at Faux-A-Chaud, Castries on Saturday (July 11) at about 11:20 p.m.

Police said Clement was seated near the “slums” area in Faux-A-Chaud with a group of persons when masked men walked up to them and fired several shots in their direction.

As a result, Clement sustained gunshot wounds. He was transported to Victoria Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

A post mortem examination conducted on the body of Clement on Tuesday (July 15) indicated that he died as a result of hemorrhagic shock secondary to gunshot wounds.

A phone thief chose the wrong woman to pick on recently. And she is no ordinary woman. She has over five years’ experience in martial arts.

In an exclusive interview with St. Lucia News Online (SNO), the woman, who is in her 40s and preferred not to have her name published, said at about 1:30 p.m. last Thursday, she was talking to someone on her Samsung Galaxy S4 near the Castries cathedral when the culprit – in his early 20′s – grabbed her phone and attempted to flee.

However, the woman’s swift – and damaging – reaction stopped him in his tracks.

A knee to the stomach brought the thief down immediately, and from then on he received blows repeatedly.

An elbow blow busted the young man’s nose.

According to the woman, she was told later that the culprit also sustained two broken ribs.

“He didn’t have any time to retaliate because I continued to deliver knees and elbows to his upper torso,” she told SNO.

By that time, a crowd started to gather. She said people in the crowd were encouraging her to “kill him, kill him” but she noted she is not a violent person and only reacted naturally in self-defense.

The police was called and the young man was taken away.

The woman, who is a St. Lucian living overseas, said she did not press for any charges against the culprit because she is due to leave the island soon, and would not have had the time to stick around for a case which would’ve taken months to be completed in the courts.

She said she was only interested in getting back her phone, which was returned.

She further told St. Lucia News Online that she was surprised that the man attempted to rob her at a time when the streets are busy with human and vehicular traffic.

Otherwise, it was “just an ordinary day” for her.

A police source confirmed the incident but could not immediately say if the culprit is still in hospital.

Is this someone you know? A businessman is calling on the public for help. His business has been robbed three times, the latest being on Tuesday this week.

A Castries businessman is calling on the public to help him identify one of three thieves who broke into his establishment earlier this week.

A surveillance camera inside the building snapped a photo of one of the thieves while attempting to damage the device.

Benedict Ochilly, proprietor of Ochi’s Hideaway Restaurant and Bar on Jeremie Street, told St. Lucia News Online (SNO) in an exclusive interview today (July 18) that the business place was closed at 11:15 p.m. on Monday, July 14 and the thieves broke in sometime between 1 a.m. and 2 a.m. on Tuesday, July 15.

The thieves entered the establishment through the roof of the “open section” of the business where the pool board is located.

The culprits then broke a window to enter the second section of the building where 17 video lottery terminals (VLT) are located.

But they were just getting started. They were also able to force open the metal “burglar bar door” to the bar area, where they stole all the beverages. They also took the security TV monitor.

During the episode, the thieves realised that the four cameras were in the building and proceeded to destroy them.

However, one of the thieves weren’t so smart, as while the others used their shirts to hide their faces, he destroyed the camera in the VLT room without being masked.

The video was able to snap his pic before it went out.

Ochilly said the damages and loss of items have so far exceeded $5,000.

The bewildered businessman said this is the third time his business has been hit by criminals.

Early last year (around January), Ochilly said three men were involved in the armed robbery of his business shortly after it opened. At that time, a knife-wielding man – with two others on the lookout – entered the business and threatened the only employee present. The employee, who was slashed on her hand, willingly handed over about $1,000 in cash while begging for her life. Two other customers who were using the gaming machines ran for their safety.

The thieves struck again, about seven months later (in July 2013), when they broke into the business, stole all the drinks, damaged the cameras and made off with the recorder.

Ochilly said he is disappointed with how the police is handling the investigations. He said though the lawmen came and took statements, they never returned.

Ochilly said in the last two break-ins, the police told him that the investigator assigned to the cases will give him a call. He said no one has called him to this day.

The frustrated businessman also claimed that his application for a licensed firearm was denied. He claimed that he wrote to the commissioner of police on at least two occasions, and even met with the top cop, pleading for his application to be successfully reviewed. This has proven futile.

He alleged that the commissioner has not given him a clear reason as to why he is being denied a licensed firearm, despite the fact that his business has been the target of an armed robbery and two break-ins.

According to Ochilly, the commissioner advised him to hire a security guard – an expense the businessman said he is unable to afford at this time. Other policemen have told Ochilly that he has enough valid reasons to be granted a firearm license.

Ochilly said he has also been threatened. He said he had refused to serve “certain characters” and they threatened him, saying “I know where you park.”

“I have nothing to protect myself,” said the frustrated businessman who plans to write to the police commissioner again or call on the national security minister concerning his firearm license.

Funeral home workers carry the body of 19-year-old Chereece Benoit who was strangled to death at her residence in La Feuille, Monchy on September 12, 2013. That crime remains unsolved.

Statistics produced by the Royal St Lucia Police Force (RSLPF) has indicated a three percent increase in crime.

Head of the Crime Intelligence Unit, Inspector Eddie Monlouis, told reporters during the police commissioner’s quarterly press conference on July 17, that the statistic represent the period January to May 2014.

Monlouis said a total of 8,624 crimes were reported island-wide, which represents the three per cent increase. He said 61 of those reports were deemed false following preliminary investigations.

“It is a negligible number,” Monlouis added.

He said 8,560 reports were accepted and 50 per cent of those reports have been detected thus far.

“When we view the distribution of the major categories of crime, 49 per cent represent summary offenses, 27 offenses against property and 20 percent crime against persons.”

Although there was a 12 per cent decrease in property crime, it is still a major concern for the police department.

“Far too many St. Lucians leave their homes, go to work every day, only to return home to find that their properties have been violated. This is of concern to the police department and I suppose it is for all St. Lucians because the 27 per cent can be translated into 15 properties being violated every day for the period January to May 2014,” he added.

Meanwhile, the number of homicides – when compared to the same period last year – remains the same. There were 13 homicides, 12 murders and one police shooting.

“If we include the two murders in June and the four in July then this would increase the number of murders in the city area to 10 out of 20,” Monlouis pointed out.

There were five murders in the central sector, five in the northern sector and two in the southern sector. Five out of the 10 murders occurred in the city area.

Eight of these involved the use of firearms and five using blunt instruments. All murder victims were male and 42 per cent were between the ages of 21 and 30. Statistics also revealed that seven out of the 11 suspects of murder cases thus far, are also within the same age range.

“It simply means that our youth do not know how to settle disputes anymore. Society has to play a greater role in helping young people manage their anger and settle dispute amicably,” the official added.

The detection rate for murder stands at seven, which represents over 50 per cent of the total number of cases.

Meanwhile, 52 per cent of offenses against persons have been detected. Most of the cases relating to offenses against people were recorded in the category of wounding. This figure stands at 345. The police have detected at least 50 per cent of those offenses.

On the other hand, firearm offenses saw an increase of 28 per cent, moving from 53 cases in 2013 to 68 cases this year, during the same period. The police have detected 71 per cent of those offenses, representing a significant increase over last year.

Sexual offenses saw a slight decrease by one per cent, but there has been a significant increase in the detection rate of 63 per cent.

There was also a slight decrease in drug-related offenses and a decrease in the number of cases detected. Some 255.957 kilograms of marijuana were intercepted by police, while 17,000 marijuana plants were uprooted. They police seized a small quantity of cocaine during this period.

A majority of drug offenses involved citizens here. However three citizens of St. Vincent and the Grenadines were arrested and charged for drug possession.

Commissioner Francois

The Royal Saint Lucia Police Force (RSLPF) has promised heightened police presence during Carnival Monday and Tuesday while warning criminal elements to stay away from the events.

Police Chief Vernon Francois told a media conference on Thursday that a team of over 200 police officers will be working hard to maintain law and order during this year’s celebration.

“I want to assure Saint Lucians that we will be out in full force to ensure a safe carnival. I want to send out a message out there to those who want to come out and engage in criminal activities during the course of carnival that we are going to deal with them,” he added.

“We will also have patrols in surrounding communities because we have noticed when people leave their homes to go and take part in carnival activities we need to provide a level of security for them. We are proposing to do our patrols in the various communities surrounding Castries during the course of carnival,” François told the media.

According to Francois, a team from the RSLPF has had a series of meetings with the Carnival Planning and Management Agency (CMPA) and the Carnival Bands Association (CBA).

“We have had also a number of in-house meetings in terms of planning our operations,” noted.

It was agreed that Carnival Monday will be from 10 a.m to 7 p.m. and Carnival Tuesday from midday to 7 p.m. He said persons must adhere to the 7 p.m. agreement. The decision not to extend the hours for both days is because of limited human resource capacity.

“It is going to be different from the past, where if the bands are still on the road, we were going to give them some extra time, notwithstanding the close off time we had agreed to, but we decided this year wherever the bands are at 7 p.m, carnival will stop at 7p.m.”

The use of loud speakers will not be permitted in the city of Castries after 7 p.m. High police presence is also expected for j’ouvert which is between 4 a.m. to 8 a.m.

A dejected Earl Lionel.

The owner of two boats destroyed by fire in Edgewater, Massade, Gros Islet early Saturday morning (July 19), believes the incident was no accident.

Earl Lionel told St. Lucia News Online in an exclusive today that he believes the attack was in retaliation for a complaint he made to the Port Authority last Monday about unlicensed jet ski operators in the Rodney Bay area.

The 52-year-old claimed port officers took action the same day of the complaint.

Lionel, who has been in the boating business since 1979, is convinced that someone tipped off one of the illegal operators about his complaint to the Port Authority.

Lionel said he has no problem with competition but the illegal operators not only cut profits from legitimate businesses, but they also put a negative light on the industry.

He said some of the complaints received are that jet skis are riding too close to yachts, speeding in the marina, “doing 360s”, and riding too close to the beach, among others. He said legal operators are taught professional and security guidelines for use of their vessels, unlike illegal operators.

“There are not there when the problems happen,” he said.

Lionel said on Friday he was approached by a man who cursed him.

Lionel looking at the destroyed boats.

“He was saying a lot of different things to me, but I didn’t say anything to him…. The next day my boats were burned,” he said.

Lionel, who lives at his boat yard, said he was sleeping when he was awoken by an explosion at about 5 a.m.

“When I got up, I came out and I saw the boat was on fire… One boat was on fire and then later the other one caught on fire,” he said, adding that the boats were tied together.

Looking outside from his balcony, Lionel noticed something suspicious.

“I saw two guys moving off outside the marina – just after the boom – on a pirogue (small boat),” he noted.

“They poured gas inside (the boat) and put it on fire.”

The businessman tried to extinguish the flames using a “small hose” until fire officers arrived.

However, despite everyone’s best efforts, the boats were damaged beyond repair.

Lionel lost “Marie”, a 42-foot sports-fishing vessel he bought five years ago. It was valued at about $180,000 USD.

Also lost was a 37-foot yacht Lionel bought only three weeks ago. Valued at about $50,000 USD, Lionel said he was planning to repair the boat and use it for cruises to Soufriere. He had also planned to rename it “Joy”.

None of the boats were insured.

Lionel noted that he was planning to service the larger boat before renewing the insurance, closer to the winter tourist season.

“It’s a really big loss,” he said.

But Lionel’s troubles did not start there. Less than nine hours before the boat fire, he was involved a motor vehicle accident as he was about to enter the main road from the Edgewater junction (near Bank of St. Lucia) at about 8: 45 p.m. Friday.

A Gros Islet Polyclinic ambulance, driving in the northbound lane, ran into the front of his vehicle, damaging the bumper and bulbs.

“The ambulance got right off,” he said.

Lionel escaped unhurt. He said it was his first accident since he began driving about 25 years ago.

But two strokes of what he called bad luck is hurting him emotionally and financially right now.

“This situation shake me up this morning. I am trying to keep myself busy so that I don’t think about it too much. I was driving today and I don’t know why I driving,” he said.

Asked what action he plans to take, Lionel said: “I am looking for justice in the right way. I have gone to the police…. I am going through some hard times right now but I will let the police do their proper investigations. I leave it up to the police.”

Police are investigating the fire.

KINGSTON, Jamaica - The Corporate Communications Unit (CCU) of the Jamaica Constabulary Force says 17 men and one woman have been arrested in Kingston, St. Andrew, Clarendon, St. James and Westmoreland for various offenses under the newly-enacted anti-gang legislation.

The police say three of the men, Ismael Higgins, Shaquille Barnes and Christopher Lyons, are members of the ‘Scare Dem’ gang based in west Kingston who have been charged with participating in a serious offence by a criminal organisation.

Three other west Kingston men, Demar James, Javanne Whoupe and Curtis Richards, have been charged for being part of, or participating in a criminal organisation.

In Clarendon, the police say five members of the ‘Savannah’ gang – Mario White, Kenric White, Shammar Mitchell, Henry Samuels and Grafton Friths – were arrested for participating in a serious offence by a criminal organisation.

Over in Westmoreland, the police say they arrested two members of the ‘Tony Reid’ gang, Romario Sinclair and Linval Forrester, for impersonating law enforcement officers and being part of a criminal organisation.

The lone female in the group, Kimesha Williams, has been charged with participating in a serious offence by a criminal organisation.

The Criminal Justice (Suppression of Criminal Organisations) Act 2014, also known as the anti-gang law, was passed by Parliament this year to target criminal gangs who the police are behind a majority of the murders reported in Jamaica.

Daniel. * Photo credit: VirginIslandsNewsOnline.com

A St. Lucian man is currently serving three months in a Tortola, British Virgin Islands prison for illegal entry after he was captured at the home of a suspected criminal.

Kennyson Daniel was sentenced on June 20, 2014 after pleading guilty on June 2.

According to a report on Virgin Islands News Online (VINO), Daniel was picked up by police officers during a raid at the Fat Hog’s Bay home of a Kevin Moorehead, who is scheduled to go on trial for guns, ammunition and smuggling of immigrant.

VINO reported that Daniel was “said to have been on his way to his homeland from the United States Virgin Islands via the Virgin Islands”.

A La Pansee youth was stabbed early this morning in a suspected gang attack.

It is alleged that the victim was part of a group of young men who attacked a supermarket market employee on Bridge Street at around 5:30 a.m.

However, the supermarket employee slashed one of the attackers in an effort to defend himself.

The stab wounds were not life-threatening.

File photo of police officers during a parade. The police chief had promised to send over 200 officers all over Castries to safeguard the Carnival activities. * File Photo

At a press conference last week Police Commissioner Vernon Francois warned criminals to stay away from Carnival and promised an increased police presence. His words were no fluke.

St. Lucia News Online can report that large groups of police officers can be seen throughout Castries, patrolling on foot and in their vehicles.

A fight broke around 7 a.m. near a bar on Jeremie Street, but according to eyewitnesses, a large group of police officers quickly quelled the situation from escalating.

“There was a fight by the market but there were like 30 officers there in no time. The police were there fast,” one of the eyewitnesses said.

The police chief had promised to dispatch over 200 police officers to maintain law and order during Carnival Monday and Tuesday.

“I want to assure Saint Lucians that we will be out in full force to ensure a safe carnival. I want to send out a message out there to those who want to come out and engage in criminal activities during the course of carnival that we are going to deal with them,” he added.

“We will also have patrols in surrounding communities because we have noticed when people leave their homes to go and take part in carnival activities we need to provide a level of security for them. We are proposing to do our patrols in the various communities surrounding Castries during the course of carnival,” François told the media.