As the police continue to work on solving the brutal murders of Melissa Arokium and her eight-year-old son, Anthony Arokium, investigators have re-arrested her older brother Cerrano Arokium and her neighbour Deo Naris for further questioning.
Melissa Arokium, also known as Lisa, 30, who operated a shop at her residence at Lot 189 Mangrove Street, Reef, Rose Hall, Corentyne, and Anthony Arokium, 8, a student at the Port Mourant Primary School were found dead just between 1 pm – 2 pm two Wednesdays ago by a relative.
Based on photographs that were circulated online of the scene, Melissa was found face down in a pool of blood in her living room with major injuries to her neck, while her son was found on his bed with major injuries to his head and neck along with cuts on his face.
Post-mortem examinations which were carried out revealed that Melissa died due to shock and haemorrhage and incised wounds to the neck, while her son died due to shock and haemorrhage and multiple incised wounds.
Police had initially said that they had arrested four persons including Melissa’s two brothers for questioning. The persons they said were; the brother who resided with the victims – Cerrano Arokium called ‘Foody’, a 33-year-old cane harvester, the brother who discovered the body of the victims — Nicholas Arokium, called ‘Nico’, a 26-year-old vendor, the boyfriend of the victim, Shailendra Umrao, a 37-year-old of Belvedere, Corentyne and the neighbor of the victim, Deo Naris, a 38-year-old ‘DJ’ of Mangrove Street, Rose Hall Town, Corentyne, Berbice.
However, Nicholas Arokium had said that he was never arrested, while Cerrano was released on $200,000 bail and the other two men on $50,000 bail each.
Yesterday, sources close to the investigation confirmed that Cerrano and Melissa’s neighbour Deo Naris were re-arrested. While relatives of Cerrano also confirmed the re-arrest.
The Guyana Police Force did not issue any official statement on the matter yesterday despite queries from the Stabroek News.
When asked for confirmation if two persons were in custody, the head of the force’s communication arm, Mark Ramotar said that he was waiting an update from the Crime Chief.
While Cerrano had told Stabroek News that he would speak at a later date after being released initially from police custody, Deo Naris had said, that he previously resided next to Melissa with his wife. However, he and his wife separated last December.
Stabroek News learned that Naris was arrested for threatening his now ex-wife some time ago and breaching a restraining order which was in place. However, after he was released from prison some months ago he moved out from the location next to Melissa and was residing with a relative in Albion. He had told Stabroek News, “Me don’t deh at that place, Melissa does watch over the place for me… Them police say me is the neighbour and that’s why them hold me.”
Stabroek News was told that Deo Naris would often purchase items from Melissa.
Melissa’s partner, Shilendra Umrao, said that he too was concerned as to why he was held in custody as he told investigators exactly what he knew from the start.
Umrao said that he and Melissa have been together for the last three months. According to him the last time he saw her was on Tuesday afternoon when he visited her home, and he last spoke with her via the phone through text on Wednesday morning hours prior to the incident.
“She messaged me Wednesday morning 4.53 and said ‘good morning baba’ and like 10 after 5 I message she ‘good morning sweety’ and I ask what she doing and she said she doing work and I ask how she doing and she said good and after that me na get no response… Me call she before me come a work and so and me na get through.”
Umrao, who works at the Albion Estate, noted, that he attempted to call Melissa around 7 a.m. on Wednesday but there was no response which was unlike her. However, after leaving work early that day to visit an insurance outlet in Rose Hall Town he decided to drive in the street to check on Melissa as she had not responded. “When me going in I see she (younger) brother and two police and he tell me Melissa get chop up and we go.”
Elaborating on the last time he saw her which was Tuesday around 6 pm, Umrao said, “I go by her and she was crying and I put my arms around her and hug her and I keep asking she why she crying and she didn’t say but then she tell me she and she (big) brother get lil argue and me ask wah kind argument them get, me ask am about four or five times and she na tell me.”
Umrao said, that when he visited on Tuesday there was also a cousin at Melissa’s residence who suffered from a mental illness. Melissa’s older brother also confirmed this noting that the cousin would often be at the location. Relatives told Stabroek News that the cousin, who has a relative connected to Guyana Police Force in Georgetown, was held by police and reportedly placed at the National Psychiatric Hospital.
According to Umrao, he would often visit Melissa but this was the first time that she would have told him about any issue with her brother. “This a first time me go there and see like them get lil argument, me never see them get problem”, he said.
Melissa and Anthony were laid to rest on Saturday last.
