– teen assailant on the run
A 43-year-old Cotton Tree, West Berbice resident was stabbed to death around midday yesterday during a fight, which ended up in a trench; his teenaged attacker is on the run.
Reports are that Dereck ‘Ochro’ Mangal sustained wounds to his throat, back and abdomen while in the trench close to his home and the attacker fled the scene at this stage.
Mangal reportedly crawled out and sat on a bench outside his stationery store where he bled to death without being taken to the hospital. Police later retrieved the murder weapon from the canal.
His wife of 25 years, Ivorene Dukhia told Stabroek News that she and her 14-year-old daughter, Lisa had travelled to Georgetown. When they returned around 1:45 pm, she saw a crowd in front of her home.
When she got closer, she observed her husband in a sitting position with blood-covered clothing and he appeared to be dead. She inquired what was wrong and learnt that he had been involved in a fight with the teen.
The police were also there conducting investigations and they took her to the Blairmont Police Station to give a statement.
Stabroek News learnt that Mangal, a father of two daughters, one of whom is married might have rebuked the attacker for “interfering” with his younger child.
Dukhia said that although her husband had warned the attacker to keep away from his daughter, this was the first time the two were engaged in a fight. She could not say what had sparked yesterday’s incident.
The woman was concerned that although persons were aware of the fracas no one helped her husband seek medical attention.
She said sadly that her husband was supposed to have accompanied them to Georgetown yesterday but she advised him to stay at home, as he was planning to go later in the week.
In tears, the woman recounted the time Mangal spent with her on Sunday and said that along with their daughter they attended church and then went to a wedding reception. After that, she said they attended the Carifesta X celebrations at Blairmont.
Mangal’s eldest sister, Dolly Singh of Plantation Ross, who was among other family members and friends gathered at a wake told this newspaper that her brother had sent a message that morning that he wanted to see her.
She said she received the message around noon and when she arrived at his home around 12:40 pm, he was already dead. She would never be able to be able to find out what her brother wanted but said he was always in a habit of sending for her when he missed her.
