(Trinidad Express) An early morning home invasion in Carlsen Field, Central Trinidad, yesterday left a son dead and his father in critical condition.
The Perez farm, of Connector Road, Carlsen Field, was the site of what the family describes as another “targeted attack” on farmers in the community.
However, they say this one is different, as 27-year-old Christopher Christian was killed during the attack. His father, Matthew Perez Christian, 66, was also injured and remains in a critical condition at the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex, Mt Hope.
When the Express visited the home yesterday, Christopher’s mother Linda Frankie, 52, said her son was helping with preparations for his grandfather’s funeral prior to the attack.
“My father died from a heart attack, and the funeral hasn’t gone yet. We were hoping for Wednesday. Christopher was organising to see about the funeral. It was my father, now is Christopher, and my husband in the hospital,” she lamented.
Frankie said her husband, a livestock farmer and butcher, sold his produce at the St James Market, and was assisted by their son, Christopher. The couple also have another son, Noah, 20.
She said the incident occurred around 5.45 a.m., when four armed masked men ambushed her husband and entered their kitchen as he was preparing for the workday.
“He now bathe and he put the Bible here to say he prayers right here. We ent open up, is just the door we opened. We went in the back, and we come back. When we come back, like they waiting. They wait for him to come in, and he bawl out,” she said.
The bandits went into Christopher’s room, where a scuffle ensued, she said. Her sons and husband were able to push the bandits out of the kitchen, but they were overpowered by the criminals, she added.
She said she believes the bandits fired their guns after they realised that the family had no money.
“They were thinking like they want money, but nobody didn’t say anything. So, they do what they had to do, and they shoot and thing. I dey in the room and I hear it three shots from the room,” she said.
Christopher died on the scene.
Describing her son as “a good child” and a “helpful person”, Frankie says she believes the attack was a targeted one.