Four people, including a teenager, were arrested hours after they allegedly stabbed and killed 40-year-old chainsaw operator Davanan Hosea, a resident of Hillfoot squatting area.
The murder occurred around 1:35 am yesterday and according to one of two press releases sent out by the Guyana Police Force, Kevin Grandstuart, 24, of Victory Valley Road, Timehri; Rodwell Fraser, 21, of Victory Valley Road, Timehri; Dwayne Bascom, 25, of Kara Kara Linden and a 16-year-old were all arrested and are now in police custody.
When Grandstuart was arrested he had a Rambo knife in his possession while the teenager was in possession of the victim’s cellular phone, the police said.
In its first release, the police recounted that the victim’s brother, Levon Hosea, who is also a chainsaw operator, stated that they had spent the day working in the backdam at Coverden before visiting a Chinese restaurant where Davanan met his reputed wife at 18:00 hrs. They had a few alcoholic beverages. Levon told police that he left Davanan in company of his reputed wife and went to his residence.
Davanan later called Levon at about 21:00 hrs to meet him at Raghoo Sports Bar at Soesdyke Public Road. On arrival, the brothers purchased alcoholic beverages, the police said.
Levon further reported that his brother told him that a group of men at the bar were looking at him. Shortly after, he told the police, a group of men approached Davanan, grabbed hold of him in the presence of his brother, and relieved him of his valuables.
A confrontation ensued between Levon and the assailants, prompting both brothers to flee through Shawnie Gas Station, the release said. Levon said that he told his brother to run east along the track, as two men pursued them, while he ran in a different direction. However, Davanan was caught by the attackers and Levon told the police that he later found Davanan collapsed on the highway at Hillfoot, with blood on the chest area of his t-shirt.
The release said Davanan sustained stab wounds on the right side of the face, the left side of the abdomen, the centre of the chest and the right side of the chest.
The area was canvassed for CCTV cameras, which were seen, and efforts are being made to have them viewed and extracted, the police said. The body of Davanan Hosea was escorted to the Diamond Diagnostic Centre, where he was seen and medically examined by a doctor who pronounced him dead on arrival. The body was later escorted to the Memorial Gardens Funeral Home, awaiting a post-mortem examination.
Around 06:00 hrs yesterday, the CCTV footage from Raghu Sports Bar at Soesdyke was viewed and in it police saw several men fighting with the now deceased man. Based on intelligence obtained, the police were able to arrest the four mentioned above. They are assisting in the investigation.
