(Trinidad Guardian) A relative of acting Police Commissioner McDonald Jacob is one of two suspects arrested minutes after a former police officer was shot dead as he was leaving his Penal home yesterday morning.
Police intercepted the white getaway car as it was speeding along Debe Trace, Penal, and detained the suspects. A firearm was also recovered.
One of the suspects, a 32-year-old Princes Town man, identified himself as Jacob’s relative, while the other suspect is a 28-year-old man from Soogrim Street, Orange Valley.
Jacob has since confirmed that the suspect is related to him.
Up to last evening, the suspects were still in custody, but Homicide detectives said they were still trying to determine why father of three Syed Mohammed was murdered.
Mohammed worked as a police officer for about ten years. He left the service at the rank of constable over two years ago. He was last attached to the Siparia Division Court and Process Branch.
Mohammed, 46, owned a commercial building not far from his home where he ran his clothing business. He also has several tenants in his building.
Police said Mohammed was leaving his Katwaroo Trace home just after 9 am to go to open his business, Sylees Fashion Outlet Ltd. He had advertised on the store’s Facebook page that their annual Christmas Clearance Sale was supposed to have started yesterday and continue until December 16.
Investigators were told that a white car turned into his street, which is a dead end, turned around and slowed down in front his home.
Mohammed was walking in his garage towards his vehicle when an occupant came out of the front passenger seat of the waiting vehicle and fired several shots at him. A relative said he was shot seven times, including in his head. He died at the scene.
At the time, Mohammed’s wife and two young sons, ages four and six, were inside their home.
As word spread about his murder, his relatives, former colleagues, friends and neighbours gathered at the scene.
Mohammed’s 17-year-old daughter from a previous relationship, was inconsolable when she arrived and asked to see her father.
Baffled as to why anyone would want him dead, his relatives and friends told reporters that as far as they knew, he had no issues with anyone.
They said he belonged to a cricket club and also played football and described him as a family and community person.
However, they were certain that the men had come to kill him.
“Everybody here in shock. We want to know why, because he was a real nice person. He not in nothing,” said a relative who did not want to be identified.
Officers of the Homicide Bureau of Investigations Region III and Southern Division visited the scene.
