Crime

Four Haitians face court for illegal migrant case; three reportedly found hiding in Closet

Published

2 years ago

June 5, 2023

Deandrea Hamilton

By Wilkie Arthur

Freelance Court Reporter

#TurksandCaicos, June 5, 2023 – It is DELIVERANCE CHERENFANT, 56 who was allegedly found with three irregular Haitians hiding in her apartment on May 2, 2023 behind Mara, Blue Hills Providenciales.

Immigration officials brought the female accused and the three found hiding out before The Honorable Chief Magistrate, Jolyon Hatmin on Tuesday 30th and Wednesday 31st May 2023 to answer to charges relating to Immigration offences.

Cherenfant is charged with three counts of harbouring illegal immigrants and she was granted bail to return to court on June 22, 2023.

The three individuals – two males and one female – allegedly found in the closet behind two separately locked doors, in her premises by Turks and Caicos Immigration authorities have all been sent to the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation in Grand Turk.

The 37-year-old woman, Jeannie Pierre was on May 31st sentenced to six months imprisonment for unlawful entry. She told the court through her attorney Finbar Grant that she knew it was wrong to illegally enter the TCI and that she left a child behind in her home country of Haiti.

The second individual found by Immigration in the apartment was Fredlin Desronvil. He pleaded guilty to unlawful entry, but when questioned by the Hon. Chief Magistrate Hatmin he said he didn’t know he was coming Turks and Caicos.

He said through his counsel Finbar Grant, that his grandmother told him he was going get a job.

He never knew he was actually traveling to another country. He said he did not even know of Turks and Caicos. He was just following what his grandmother told him and that he was going to get a job.

The learned Chief Magistrate having heard this, refused to accept Desronvil’s guilty plea and entered a not guilty plea for the record in order for the matter to be properly examined in a trial on June 16, 2023 before the Grand Turk resident Magistrate.

He was remanded to prison pending that trial.

The third defendant’s case outcome will be conveyed in a future news report.

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Deandrea Hamilton

Crime

Wanted “Woody” Charged

Published

1 week ago

March 15, 2025

Deandrea Hamilton

***MEDIA RELEASE***

Turks and Caicos, March 12, 2025 – On March 4, 2025, the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force (RT&CIPF) issued a Wanted Bulletin for HAYWOOD MCINTOSH following a report of malicious damage to property and assault.

Five days later, (9th March), officers conducting patrols in the Grace Bay area identified and apprehended McIntosh.

McIntosh, also known as “Woody“, was searched, during which officers allegedly discovered a pistol and an extended magazine containing ammunition in his possession.

McIntosh was arrested and subsequently charged on Tuesday, 11 March 2025.

McIntosh, 38, of The Bight, faces the following offences:

Possession of a firearm
Possession of ammunition

The accused is expected to appear in court on the next available date and remains in custody.

The RT&CIPF remains committed to ensuring public safety and urges anyone with information regarding illegal firearms to report it anonymously to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-8477 (TIPS) or contact the nearest police station.

Crime

Homicide Updates

Published

1 week ago

March 15, 2025

Deandrea Hamilton

***MEDIA RELEASE***

Turks and Caicos, 11^th March 2025 – The Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force confirms that a 29-year-old male remains in custody as a person of interest in the fatal shooting of an unidentified male in Dock Yard yesterday (10 March).

The deceased, believed to be of Haitian nationality, is described as a slim-built male in his mid20s with a short afro and goatee. He was found wearing only white boxers in a bushy area behind Dock Yard. Police are seeking the public’s assistance to identify him.

Investigations have thus far revealed that shortly after 8:30 am, several calls were placed to the Police Control Room stating a body was at a location in Dock Yard.

Officers arrived at the scene and were led to a ditch, where they confirmed the report.

In a separate case, detectives recovered a black vehicle suspected to have been used in the March 7th murder of Ricardo Pierre. A 21-year-old Dock Yard male has been arrested on suspicion of Mr. Pierre’s death.

Both homicide investigations are ongoing.

Anyone with information is urged to contact the police at 911, the Serious Crime Unit at 2311842, or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-8477.

Anonymous tips can also be submitted via the Crime Stoppers P3 app.

Crime

Haitian Man Chopped, Then Shot to Death in Dock Yard

Published

1 week ago

March 15, 2025

Deandrea Hamilton

Wilkie Arthur

Eagle Legal News Media

Turks and Caicos, March 15, 2025 – On Monday, March 10, 2025, a day observed as Commonwealth Day in the Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI), the nation recorded what may be its ninth homicide for the year.

Authorities have yet to confirm the classification of a badly decomposed body found in the Snake Hill bushes of Providenciales on February 15, 2025. If deemed a homicide, the TCI murder count for the year could rise to nine.

Our investigative team visited Dock Yard to gather details about Monday’s killing and the victim.

Who Was the Victim?

Eyewitnesses and community members identified the deceased as a Haitian male, believed to be around 28 or 29 years old. They noted he had no official documentation but had been living in the Turks and Caicos Islands for over a year. Described as a quiet and hardworking individual, he reportedly made a modest living and sent money home to his family in Haiti.

What Happened?

According to sources, alcohol-fueled disputes were a recurring issue for the victim and his cousins on weekends. This past weekend, a heated argument escalated into violence.

Witnesses say one of his cousins, also intoxicated, attacked him with a cutlass. However, the cutlass wound was not fatal. The fight continued until another group intervened and shot the victim multiple times. Bloodstains on rocks, grass, and bushes suggest he attempted to flee before succumbing to his injuries.

At sunrise, his lifeless body was discovered in a ditch. He was found wearing only underwear. It remains unclear whether he was shot again in the ditch or if he sought refuge there and bled to death. The amount of blood in the hole suggests he sustained significant injuries before his death.

Police Investigation and Arrests

A cousin of the deceased, currently in police custody, reportedly admitted to the cutlass attack but claimed others were responsible for the shooting. Police detained him yesterday following their investigation in Dock Yard.

Official Police Statement

The Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force issued the following update on March 11, 2025:

Homicide Update

A 29-year-old male remains in custody as a person of interest in the fatal shooting of an unidentified male in Dock Yard on March 10.

The deceased, believed to be of Haitian nationality, is described as a slim-built male in his mid-20s with a short afro and goatee. He was found wearing only white boxers in a bushy area behind Dock Yard.

Police are seeking the public’s assistance in identifying him.

Investigations have revealed that shortly after 8:30 AM, multiple calls were made to the Police Control Room reporting a body at a location in Dock Yard. Officers arrived at the scene and confirmed the discovery of the body in a ditch.

Ongoing Investigation

The investigation remains active, and authorities are urging anyone with information to come forward.