A 54-year-old man who was assaulted on Father’s Day with a piece of wood by his former son-in-law, succumbed to his injuries on Thursday, June 25, after being placed on life support at the Woodlands Hospital.
Alexie Gomes, a resident of New York, USA, was rendered unconscious after a scuffle between him and the father of his grandson.
A relative of the dead man who asked not to be named explained to this newspaper that Gomes came from New York with his grandson on March 3 in order for the boy to spend time with his father. Gomes had to remain, however, due to the closure of international airports which prevented him from returning to the US.
The relative went on to explain that on the day in question, Gomes left his Lot 6 Riverview, Ruimveldt, home to purchase beers at a nearby shop. On his way to purchase the beers, he noticed his former son-in-law with his grandson and he decided to approach the two to speak to his grandson. The father of the child, however, wasn’t too fond of the idea.
“He [told the man] ‘give me Mario’ and [the father] refused to give [Gomes] the child… the girl the father is living with pulled away the child and he cuff [Gomes] in his face,” she recounted. She added that a
scuffle ensued and the suspect dealt Gomes several lashes in the head with a piece of wood that was nearby.
The relative said that the now dead man left the scene to make a report at the Ruimveldt Police Station and was then told to return with a medical report detailing his condition.
The relative recalled that on the Tuesday after the incident occurred, Gomes fell ill and had to be rushed to the hospital. “Tuesday he start feeling unwell… and they took him to Woodlands Hospital and he was on life support and he died on the Thursday [June 25]”, she explained.
The man’s death certificate, which was seen by this newspaper, listed his cause of death as cerebral haemorrhage.
The relative noted that the assailant was initially released on bail but was rearrested after the man passed away at the hospital.
The now dead father of three was described by one of his nephews as “a very easy going individual… friendly to everyone in the community.”
Calls made by this newspaper to police officials in an effort to confirm the arrest of the suspect were unsuccessful.
