Crime
Young Men Pushing Crime Wave in Turks & Caicos
By Dana Malcolm
Staff Writer
#TurksandCaicos, June 15, 2022 – In the period of seven days four young men below the age of 25 have been charged with firearm offenses, including wounding. The Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force released the information on Tuesday, June 7th, regarding several incidents involving separate persons.
Twenty-four-year-old Lavardo Campbell is the oldest of the bunch, and was charged alongside 21-year-old Jean-Max
Germain on June 3rd for carrying a firearm, carrying ammunition, wounding, discharging a firearm, and discharging ammunition after they discharged several rounds from their moving vehicle injuring a passerby on May 17th.
Patrick Frantz Gedeus was charged with keeping a firearm and ammunition on June 6th after suspicious activity surrounding his SUV was noticed by the police a day earlier. The officers towed the SUV and searched it in his presence, finding a black pistol, loaded with a magazine containing two 9mm rounds.
The youngest of the group of men charged, Alex Aquino is 19 years old and was also charged on June 3rd for discharging a firearm and carrying ammunition after he was identified as the shooter in an incident where a man was threatened, and rounds were discharged in the Five Cays area.
The minimum sentence for gun possession in the Turks and Caicos remains 5 years imprisonment. The consistent arrests of college-age young men in the Turks and Caicos underscores the importance of accessible tertiary education for students as well as programs in lockup to prevent recidivism.
The TCIG has implemented several programs for intervention and education after lockup but preventative programs including teen mentorship and educational opportunities may help to stem the number of young men and women heading to lockup in the first place.
Crime
“Life in Prison for setting fire” as Wheeland Residents say fire bomb tossed into residence Monday night
Wilkie Arthur and Deandrea Hamilton
Turks and Caicos, September 13, 2024 – TCI Police are not saying how the fire was set, but they do confirm a fire was intentionally set and witnesses speaking to Eagle Legal News Media report that it was thrown into a Wheeland house where it landed in the living room and exploded.
“…it is alleged criminals sent fire bomb (s) through a home, but thankfully no one was in the living room area where it landed and an explosion was heard loudly, no one was hurt or injured,” reported Wilkie Arthur of Eagle Legal on the night of the horrifying incident.
The Police report explains: Shortly after 8 p.m. yesterday (September 9), officers of the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force
responded to a fire report at a dwelling in Wheeland, Blue Hills, Providenciales. Upon arrival at the scene, police officers and firefighters saw a structure in flames.
All efforts to contain the fire were successful. Fortunately, there were no injuries. Based on initial reports, the fire appears to have been deliberately set.
The RTCIPF wishes to remind the public that under the Malicious Injuries to Property Ordinance Chapter 3.11, Section 4, “Setting fire to a dwelling-house with any person being therein Whosoever shall unlawfully and maliciously set fire to any dwelling house, any person being therein, commits an offence, and being convicted thereof shall be liable to imprisonment for life.”
Fire Trucks and Police were summoned to the scene on Monday night. Images of the response are shared by Eagle Legal.
Meanwhile, the RT&CIPF is asking anyone with information that may help in this investigation to contact the closest police station, 911, the Serious Crime Unit at 231-1842, or Crime Stoppers at 1-800- 8477 to provide any information anonymously.
***MEDIA RELEASE***
Turks and Caicos, 10th September 2024 – Shortly after 8 p.m. yesterday (September 9), officers of the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force responded to a fire report at a dwelling in Wheeland, Blue Hills, Providenciales.
Upon arrival at the scene, police officers and firefighters saw a structure in flames.
All efforts to contain the fire were successful. Fortunately, there were no injuries.
Based on initial reports, the fire appears to have been deliberately set.
The RTCIPF wishes to remind the public that under the Malicious Injuries to Property Ordinance Chapter 3.11, Section 4, “Setting fire to a dwelling-house with any person being therein Whosoever shall unlawfully and maliciously set fire to any dwelling house, any person being therein, commits an offence, and being convicted thereof shall be liable to imprisonment for life.”
The RT&CIPF is asking anyone with information that may help in this investigation to contact the closest police station, 911, the Serious Crime Unit at 231-1842, or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-8477 to provide any information anonymously.
Additionally, individuals are encouraged to download the Crime Stoppers P3 app to share information.
Photo by Eagle Legal News Media
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