All Christmas plans for the family of Kyle Montano, who was shot dead while returning home from his girlfriend’s birthday party on Tuesday night, have gone out the window. The Montanos of Coora Road, Siparia, usually celebrated the holiday with a dinner shared with relatives and friends. However, his family said everything would be scrapped.
“No Christmas, this just spoiled everything,” his grandmother, Brenda Montano-Baptiste, said at her home yesterday.
Reports stated that Montano, 17, an electrical student of the Metal Industries Company Ltd (MIC) went to the party at George Street, Siparia. While walking along the same street around 9.50 pm, two men walked up to him and shot him. He was taken to the Siparia District Health Facility where he died.
While robbery seems to be the motive as his two gold chains were stolen, Baptiste-Montano believes his killing was most likely linked to a pending court case. She said two men held him up several months ago, stealing his gold chain and ring. During the robbery, he recognised one of the robbers.
She said during the robbery one of the bandits told the other to shoot her grandson because he could identify them but Montano escaped and made a report to the Siparia Police Station.
Police eventually held one the bandits and charged him. The case was scheduled to come up for hearing next month.
It was a sombre mood at the house where furniture were packed aside to make way for Christmas cleaning. His cousins and aunt described him as a helpful and kind person who they fondly referred to as Kylie.
“We usually have a family dinner every Christmas and we invite a few friends but we are not having any this year. Kyle was my hands and feet because I have a bank card here I never used. He would go take out money for me and bring back the slip to show me how much he took out,” Montano-Baptiste said.
It was also the second murder in the family in some years as she said another grandson was beaten and burnt by bandits who robbed him of cash he had collected for his employers.
Body found at the end of blood trail
Police are probing the death of a Princes Town landlord who was discovered by his tenant after following a blood trail. However, Kumar Boodan’s death is yet to be classified as investigators are awaiting autopsy results.
Police said Boodan, 52, a landlord of Circular Street, Princes Town, was last seen alive around 9 pm by his neighbour who said they were both drinking alcohol. He left minutes later and it was when the tenant returned home and was about to open the gate he saw blood on it.
The tenant followed the blood trail, which led to a room inside Boodan’s apartment. He found Boodan lying on his back, unresponsive, on the floor. Police and ambulance were called in but Boodan was already dead.
District Medical Officer Dr Bachan viewed the body and reported that there were no marks of violence.