A mother of two was found yesterday with her throat slit at her home at San Fabian Road, Springland, Gasparillo.
Sue-Ann Titus was found dead by her stepfather, Horace Richards, 82, around 6.30 am.
Richards told police he awoke around 3 am and saw his daughter cooking and there was a man sitting in the kitchen. He said Titus was expected to report to work at Trinidad Cement Ltd (TCL) for 6 am so he thought everything was okay and returned to bed.
But Richards got the shock of his life around 6.30 am when he walked into a laundry room and found her semi-nude body lying in blood.
Southern Division police, including Snr Supt Adeline St Louis-Pesnell, ASP Sharon Gomez-Cooper, Insp Don Gajadhar and Sgt Susan John, responded but the suspect was long gone. A motive is yet to be determined, especially as the family did not know the man.
One of Titus’ mobile phones was reported missing and a man working at a site behind a neighbour’s house discovered a BLU mobile phone stained with blood. It was handed over to police. Titus’ son declined an interview yesterday.
Titus was an administrative assistant at TCL and worked there for the past 20 years. Several of her colleagues gathered outside her home, wishing the news was not true. However, eyes became teary when the undertakers carried her body to their van.
Co-worker, Jinda Maharaj, described her as a friendly, outgoing and helpful person who was always willing to go out of her way to make others comfortable. He said when news reached the company, colleagues were plunged into a state of sadness and disbelief.
Fellow churchgoers at the Revival Time Assembly, San Fernando, also could not hold back their tears.
In an unrelated incident, weeks after police seized over $40,000 from his home, a Moruga electrician was killed in a drive-by shooting on Wednesday night.
Marvin Ravello, 47, of Samuel Cooper Road, Indian Walk, was found dead by Sixth Company residents who went outside to investigate gunshots heard in the community.
Police said Ravello was standing along Contention Road around 8.30 pm when a black vehicle drove past him and the occupants opened fire. He was hit on the right side of the face and fell on the roadside and died.
Southern Division police, including Snr Supt Adeline St Louis-Pesnell and ASP Rohan Pardasie, responded and co-ordinated searches for the suspects. However, no one was arrested up to yesterday.
Police said Ravello, who also has an address on Ormidale Avenue, Cocoyea, was recently charged with larceny and was suspected in recent robberies, shootings and drug transactions.
A source said St Mary’s police executed a search warrant at his home a few weeks ago and found $40,000 for which he could not account. He was reportedly very hostile to officers when they went to his home.
However, Ravello’s brother-in-law, Raymond Dyer, who described him as “humble” and “cool,” said he was still waiting for more news on the murder.
Dyer told the T&T Guardian yesterday he was leaving home around 6.30 pm when he last saw Ravello. He said he did not know where he went or what he was doing in Sixth Company.
It was only later that night a relative called him, saying he heard Ravello was killed. He said Ravello never complained about threats against him or had arguments with anyone.
Cpl Bridgemohan is continuing inquiries.