(Trinidad Express) Newly crowned Chutney Soca Monarch Kris “KI” Persad narrowly escaped falling victim to a bandit outside his home after winning the title yesterday morning.
Persad arrived at his Barataria home just after 4 a.m.—mere minutes after winning the crown and million-dollar prize—only to realise that a friend of his, who had come to his home to celebrate the victory, was approached by a bandit who tried to rob him.
However, the bandit was shot once in the chest by his intended victim.
Police said a group of friends and relatives of the artiste arrived at his Third Street home from the Queen’s Park Oval to celebrate his success in the competition, when the bandit approached and announced a hold-up.
The man, who police said lived at Thomasine Street, Laventille, was armed with a shotgun. He reportedly approached a member of the group, who is a security officer, and snatched his gold chain. He also demanded the security officer hand over the keys to his Nissan Wingroad motorcar, to which he complied.
Investigators said the security officer pulled out his licensed firearm and fired one shot at the bandit, hitting him in the chest. The incident took place on the roadway outside the artiste’s house.
Officers said about five minutes later Persad arrived at his home and saw the bleeding man on the ground and called police.
A team of officers from the Barataria Criminal Investigations Department (CID) arrived on the scene minutes later and rushed the injured man to the Port of Spain General Hospital, where up to late yesterday he remained warded in a stable condition.
Police said they also recovered the shotgun at the scene of the incident.
Speaking to members of the media yesterday, Persad confirmed he was not at home at the time, but stated that he believed he could have fallen victim.
He said after the Chutney Soca Monarch he and several family members stopped for a brief moment along Ariapita Avenue before heading home.
“We stopped there for ten minutes. If we did not stop, we would have been the first ones to arrive here, in the dark, so it could have been us to get rob,” Persad said.
Asked to further describe what had taken place, Persad said he did not wish to speak of the incident in too much detail, stating that it would bring “negativity” to a time of celebration.
PC Kevin Reyes, of the Barataria CID, is continuing investigations into the incident.
