A Mocha, East Bank Demerara taxi driver was stabbed to death at approximately 8.15 am yesterday during an argument over $500 and a parking space.
According to police in Regional Division #4 ‘B’, the incident involved the now-dead Quincy Weekes, a 42-year-old taxi driver known as ‘Baloo’ of Lot 31 Nelson Street, Mocha and the suspect, a 28-year-old taxi driver, also from Mocha.
The investigation revealed that Weekes and the suspect are known to each other, since they both operated private hire taxis at the Mocha entrance on a daily basis. It is alleged that sometime back Weekes and the suspect had a misunderstanding over $500. Weekes and the suspect were at the Mocha entrance plying their trade when an argument started between them over the parking of their respective cars. It was then that the suspect armed himself with a knife and stabbed Weekes several times causing him to fall to the ground.
The man lay motionless, face-up in a pool of blood. Four suspected stab wounds were seen on the body, one on each hand, one under the left shoulder, and the other to the left side of the chest.
Weekes was pronounced dead at the scene by a doctor attached to the emergency response team. The body was then taken to the Memorial Gardens Funeral parlour where it awaits a post-mortem examination. Nearby, (CCTV) cameras were seen but not yet viewed.
The suspect was taken to hospital for medical attention and is presently in police custody assisting with investigations.
In an interview with Stabroek News, Shirley Weekes, the dead man’s 82-year-old grandmother explained that her grandson was living with her and had been a taxi driver for approximately two years. The woman mentioned that he would usually communicate with her before leaving for work.
“Baloo leave to go to work this morning but normally before he leave after five, we would talk and I gon tell he well you know be careful on the road and these thing and so. And then I see he coming in back after he left but then I know he does come to get this boy [his son] ready to go to school. When he come he say the boy [the suspect] ask he to change some money and something but is about some $500. So he say he had to change some $1000 and he give the boy 5 before he go over the river and he was supposed to give the boy another 5. So I had $5000 and I say, ‘Baloo take out the $500 from this $5000 and give the boy.’ He say ‘granny I already give the boy the $500’ and he did not turn back and take the $5000 out of my hand. The next news I hear is meh grandson the boy stab he at the road head and that was it, meh bawl! This boy and Baloo is really good friends because this boy got a baby the other day with somebody and this boy take Baloo to be the godfather. So they got to be really good friends, they got to be close.”
The grandmother also disclosed that Weekes was expecting a child by the end of the year. (Shuntel Glasgow)
