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Unacknowledged by Authorities:  Grand Turk has another fire over the weekend

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By Dana Malcolm

Staff Writer

 

#TurksandCaicos, November 17, 2022 – Major losses are being reported as the result from that fire in the Overback area of Grand Turk over the weekend but still nothing from the police despite multiple attempts to obtain a statement.

The fire apparently happened on Sunday night, November 13.  Our news organization received videos of the blaze as the affected building went up in flames.

Police are silent on the matter entirely, therefore it is unknown if this was an act of arson, the extend of damage or the subsequent losses due to the ferocious blaze but what is well documented is Grand Turk’s history of intentionally set fires.

Family homes, historical buildings, police stations, vehicles, schools and businesses have all been affected.

The fires even had potential investors rethinking their decisions to enter Grand Turk commercially.  Back in February, one person who reportedly reached out to islanders via Facebook and indicated interest in purchasing a business in Grand Turk said they were concerned about whether it was safe when factoring in the repeated blazes.

At least one vacation rental was torched this year as the TCIG continues to pump thousands of dollars into the MSME Vacation Rental Programme in efforts to increase Grand Turk’s inventory for stopover travel.

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Crime

American Tourist Beaten in Turks and Caicos, suspect out on bail

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Rashaed Esson

Staff Writer 

#TurksandCaicos, March 24, 2024 – A tourist woman was left with severe bruises and possible visual impairment and hearing loss, after being beaten by a man, while on a birthday trip in the Turks and Caicos. 

The reason behind her assault is unknown, and it’s now public concern among Turks and Caicos residents as well as tourists, that there are people out there willing to physically abuse someone, especially to this degree. 

The victim, Suyapa Ramos from New Jersey, who describes fighting for her life, was interviewed on abc7NY and she detailed the events leading up to her assault.

She expressed she was at a bar the last night of her trip and after hours, ready to go back to her hotel, was trying to find a taxi with little luck.

“I believe after about 10, they (taxis) don’t run, and that was something that I found out the hard way.”

Ramos continued, highlighting that she met someone who said he was a taxi driver and took his word for it.  In fact, people at the bar seemingly knew the guy by the name of Davidson Martin, which to her was even more reason to trust she would be safe.

On their way to the hotel, she claimed he suddenly attacked her in the car, the scariest thing she’d ever had to encounter, she said. 

While Martin mercilessly beat Ramos, he reportedly made growling sounds, she explained in her interview.  And, contrasting to public opinion, Ramos says he didn’t make any sexual advances.

Fortunately Ramos, 48 years old, was able to escape and Martin, 29 years old, was arrested two days later. 

A police release informs that Ramos arrived at a health facility on Sunday March 10 and on March 13th, Martin was arrested by Safeguarding and Public Protection officers under sections 10 of the Offenses Against the Person Ordinance.

The release says he appeared before a Magistrate on March 15th, 2024, and charged with one count of Inflicting Grievous Bodily Harm. 

While officials have not commented publicly on the incident, the TCI public wants it to be known that the attacker was not a taxi driver. The man arrested, charged and released is an illegal jitney operator.

Illegal jitney drivers are not licensed and their drivers are unregistered and therefore unknown to the public service drivers’ regulator.

Warnings are currently in effect about use of these illegal modes of transport, despite their enormous popularity and convenience, especially to people who need to get around at night.

For the Turks and Caicos, a sought after tourist destination in the Caribbean, this is another stain on its reputation as the past two years has seen an increase in crime rate per capita, from low numbers, to numbers that now rival those of some of the most violent places in the world. 

Tourists are being attacked in their villas and just recently, a family was held at gunpoint, the father robbed of over $20,000 thousand dollars worth of cash and jewelry. 

Despite these unfortunate developments, the Turks and Caicos is seeing record breaking numbers in arrivals, up nearly 13 percent, for the first two months of 2024, according to a report by the Ministry of Tourism, released this week. 

 

UPDATED

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Crime

RTCIPF – Unidentified Male Shot

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***MEDIA RELEASE***

#TurksandCaicos, March 18, 2024 – A shooting incident has resulted in a fatality, with officers of the Serious Crime Unit currently at the scene.

Preliminary reports state around 9:17 pm today (March 18th), a call was placed to the Police Control Room indicating a male was shot at a location in Five Cays, Providenciales.

Officers arrived at the scene and found the lifeless body of a male with what appeared to be gunshot wounds.The victim was wearing long blue pants and a black t-shirt.

Further details surrounding the incident, including motive and the victim’s identity, are under investigation.

The RTCIPF asks the public to notify the closest police station, contact 911, the Serious Crime Unit at 231-1842, Crime Stoppers at 1-800-8477, and anonymously give any information on this murder.

Additionally, persons are encouraged to download the CrimeStoppers P3 app and share information.

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Crime

TCI Police make ARREST following Kew Town Drive By shooting, one woman hit

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Deandrea Hamilton
Editor

Police on Wednesday night confirmed a shooting earlier in the day in Kew Town, Providenciales; saying they were alerted at 2:17pm about gunfire on Black Crow Road.  A resident of Kew Town, according to the statement, sought medical treatment and that woman is described as a 57-year-old ‘hit by a stray bullet.’

Following the ‘drive-by’ in Kew Town, Officers were given a description of the car shooters used to spray the area with bullets. And what followed was a coordinated response leading to the arrest of a 21 year old and a 28 year old; both men are residents of Five Cays.

Dean Holden, Police Superintendent said the arrest, which played out in plain view of bystanders on front road in Blue Hills is proof, say Police, that community safety is a priority and violence of this kind will not be tolerated.

The arrest, around 3pm, of the Five Cays men followed a shocking murder at Wymara resort around 10:30 p.m. on Tuesday March 5, where three staff members were struck in a hail of bullets; one man – a 22 year old – appeared to be a target and was murdered on the scene.

The other two people injured in the incident were said to be “innocents”, in the wrong place at the wrong time.

 

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