(Trinidad Express) The slaying of citizens multiple times a day is no longer big news in a country where upwards of 400 people are murdered every year.
The country is apparently desensitised by the mind-numbing level of violence.
But on the morning of April 29, 2019 the killing of the Quintero family in their vehicle on a busy highway in south Trinidad rattled the nation.
They had left a Sunday evening outing to the movies and had driven less than five minutes from the mall and entertainment centre before death came.
The Quinteros’ killing happened in plain sight but it was a crime that no one saw. And police are baffled about the motive.
They need help to solve this crime.
Family man
George Quintero, 52, was a self-employed contractor and metal fabricator who operated his business out of the family home at Plum Street, Block Five, Palmiste.
His neighbours said he was often heard working, his tools banging and grinding as he toiled into the night in his workshop at the back of his house.
He owned a Nissan Frontier which was used as the family vehicle and his transport for his burglar proofing and other metal work.
In his spare time he tended to the orchids in his back yard.
His family’s home started off as a single storey house, and over the course of about 20 years, neighbours said George Quintero added room after room until it took the shape of the two storey split level structure that stood proudly on the street of sprawling homes in the affluent residential community.
He owned another vehicle that appeared rusted down in the garage adjoining the house.
How they were found
George Quintero was at the wheel of the Nissan Frontier when confronted by the killer/s.
His wife, Carmelita, 52, was in the front seat of the pick up alongside him.
The older of their two daughters, Marisol, 33, was in the back seat.
All three had been shot multiple times.
The killings occurred on a stretch of highway flanked by two housing communities and less than a kilometre away from the C3 Centre in Corinth.
Police believe there must be at least one witness to the slaying of this family, but no one has yet come forward to help solve the case.
The Quinteros’ last evening was spent at a mall. They went to the movies.
George Quintero parked in the northern car park of C3 mall, and then the three walked to MovieTowne cinemas and met up with Marisol’s sister, Mariela, and her boyfriend.
Mariela, 30, lived on her own, but the family pictures showed a strong bond between her and her sister, and with her mother and step father.
The family got their tickets for the 8 p.m. showing of the blockbuster superhero movie Avengers: Endgame.
When the movie ended three hours later, Mariela and her boyfriend said goodbye and went to their car.
The Quinteros went to their pickup, with George Quintero driving, his wife next to him in the front seat, and Marisol in the back seat.
They left the car park around 11.20 p.m. and headed in the direction of their home at Palmiste, San Fernando.
Their vehicle was found parked on the shoulder before daybreak the following day.
The indicator light on the pick-up was still blinking, and the front passenger door was open.
Police detectives believe the killers attacked from in front of their vehicle.
It is hoped that the scores of people who saw them that night can share information that may help them solve the case.
No suspects were ever detained for questioning.
Police said they do not know the motive for the triple homicide.
The Naps Girl
Carmelita Quintero, 52, formerly Garcia, was the mother of two girls – Marisol and Mariela.
Her girls were young when she divorced her husband and married George Quintero.
Her girls took the Quintero name.
Carmelita was a past pupil of Naparima Girls’ High School, and had worked as a public servant in the Ministry of Works.
She retired early and opened another chapter of her life when she enrolled in the University of the West Indies at St Augustine and in October 2015 she graduated with a degree in Public Sector Management.
She was an active Facebook user, and earned many friends on various chat forums. In particular she was a fan of former Express columnist Tony Deyal, and shared his columns and online magazine.
Deyal paid tribute to her: “She was very much a family person and demonstrated her deep love for her husband and two daughters.”
