A 31-year-old taxi driver who was wounded last week at Parika, East Bank Essequibo in an altercation with a 30-year-old construction worker, succumbed to his injuries at the Georgetown Public Hospital Intensive Care Unit on Friday.
Dead is Leon Parahoo, of Tuschen, East Bank Essequibo.
The incident occurred sometime between August 17 and 18, and the construction worker is in custody.
According to police, Alejandro Alli, a 22-year-old taxi driver of Tuschen New Housing Scheme, who was arrested in relation to the incident, told investigators that on the night of the incident, he had just dropped off a customer from Tuschen at the Parika Junction when he was approached by the suspect who he had known for about three months.
The construction worker requested to be taken to Nancy’s Bar located at Parika access road. At the time he was drinking a Guiness stout and was wearing a dark-colour hoodie and black trousers. The driver related that about a minute into the journey the suspect instructed him to stop the car as he had forgotten something. He then exited the car and headed in a northerly direction while he (driver) parked his car and awaited his return.
Several minutes later, the suspect returned hurriedly to the car and instructed that he drive while stating that he just “juk up” [stabbed] somebody. The driver stated that the suspect then placed a knife to his neck and repeated his instruction for him to drive. Alli said he became afraid and drove off and while driving, the suspect told him, if he mentioned anything about the incident he would kill his entire family.
After driving some distance, Alli related that he stopped the car, came out, and instructed the suspect to exit the vehicle which he refused to do. Alli in response then took a piece of lumber he normally keeps on the driver’s side of his car and confronted the suspect, who then exited the car and headed to the riverside.
The driver said he then returned to his car and drove home where he informed his parents about what had transpired. He later took the police to the suspect’s residence located in Zeelugt where they informed the suspect about the incident and requested to search his premises. Ranks discovered two kitchen knives, a pair of black jeans and a grey hoodie and the suspect was taken to the Parika police station and placed in custody, while the items were lodged. Police stated that at the time, the suspect appeared to be under the influence of alcohol.
During the investigation, it was revealed that Parahoo and the suspect had an altercation in 2023 where the deceased had stabbed the suspect.
The deceased’s brother, Lefred Parahoo, told the Sunday Stabroek that he received a message at about six am last Saturday to call Leon’s wife. When he contacted her, she informed him about the stabbing incident. Leon related that his brother usually drives a taxi and at around two am last Saturday whilst at the Tuschen Road, head, Leon was tasked with picking up a regular customer at Parika. However, on his way to Parika, he stopped at the Parika Junction to buy a Lucozade and that was when he was stabbed by a man wearing a hoodie. The brother related that he understands that the same man jumped in a car afterward and the car drove away. Leon added that after his brother had undergone surgery for stab wounds he suffered to his stomach, he was unconscious for a while until he succumbed to his injuries on Friday morning.
Leon leaves to mourn his family including his wife, two sons and a daughter.
