标签： Trinidad and Tobago

A post-mortem examination conducted Wednesday on the body of 7-year-old Angelica Jogie has confirmed that the young girl died as a result of multiple severe traumatic injuries, according to local law enforcement and medical officials in Tobago.

The forensic analysis was performed by leading pathologist Dr. Hubert Daisley at the Scarborough Mortuary, bringing official clarity to the cause of last week’s fatal incident that shocked the small coastal community. The tragedy unfolded on Pigeon Point Beach, one of Tobago’s most popular public recreational shorelines, when an out-of-control jet ski collided with Angelica, her father Arnold Jogie, and her uncle Darren Jogie last Wednesday. Angelica was pronounced dead at the scene, while her family members suffered non-life-threatening injuries in the crash.

In the days following the incident, police took a 32-year-old jet ski operator, a resident of Canaan Feeder Road in Tobago, into custody as the primary person of interest connected to the collision. As of Wednesday, the suspect remained in police detention while investigators work to complete their evidentiary review. Once all case details are compiled, law enforcement officials confirmed the full investigative file will be forwarded to Director of Public Prosecutions Roger Gaspard, who will make a final determination on what criminal charges, if any, will be filed.

Top regional officials have weighed in on the tragedy, expressing deep grief and calling for greater attention to recreational water safety. Orlando Kerr, Education Secretary for the Tobago House of Assembly, told reporters Wednesday that he is convinced this fatal outcome could have been prevented entirely. “It’s a tragedy, it is something that could have been avoided—totally could have been avoided,” Kerr said. Speaking from personal experience as a parent, he shared his sympathy for Angelica’s grieving family, noting, “I could only imagine what they are going through. It is going to be very difficult for them; I’m hoping that they would get some form of counselling.”

Kerr emphasized that preventable water-based accidents like this do not stem from gaps in legislation or regulation, but rather a need for greater consistent care and awareness among people operating recreational watercraft. “This has nothing to do with legislation or laws or nothing, is something just as human beings we have to be more concerned about people and people’s wellbeing. I think that it really is a tragedy,” he added. “Condolences to her family; but you know, it is really a loss of life at such a tender age…all that potential that has not been tapped—it is a sad thing, it is very sad.”

In the wake of Angelica’s death, the Tobago House of Assembly is coordinating logistical support to help the family complete funeral arrangements. Administrative teams are currently working to transfer Angelica’s body from Scarborough Mortuary back to Trinidad, where the young girl will receive her final burial rites according to her family’s wishes.

An independent oversight body has launched a official investigation into the fatal shooting of 43-year-old Shakeel Smart by law enforcement officers that took place late Sunday night in the Cascade community of Trinidad. David West, director of the Police Complaints Authority (PCA), confirmed the ongoing enquiry to reporters this week, noting that Smart’s death marks the ninth fatal shooting involving police personnel in the country since the start of the calendar year.

According to initial accounts from the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service, the incident unfolded just after 10 p.m. Sunday, when officers assigned to the Guard and Emergency Branch were conducting routine patrols along Cascade Main Road. During their patrol, the officers spotted a white Nissan AD Wagon carrying three male occupants that drew their attention. When the vehicle’s occupants noticed the police presence, the driver immediately accelerated away from the scene, triggering a high-speed pursuit that wound through local roads all the way to Hololo Mountain Road.

Police officials stated that during the cross-community chase, individuals inside the fleeing vehicle fired gunshots at the pursuing officers, prompting the officers to return fire in response. The pursuit came to a halt close to a private villa along Hololo Mountain Road, when the driver lost control of the vehicle and crashed off the paved roadway. All three men exited the damaged vehicle immediately after the crash; two of the suspects managed to escape into the surrounding wooded terrain on foot, while Smart remained at the scene, having collapsed from his gunshot injuries.

Emergency medical responders transported the wounded Smart to Port of Spain General Hospital, but medical staff pronounced him dead upon his arrival at the facility. Law enforcement teams launched an immediate manhunt for the two remaining at-large suspects, but as of the latest update, no arrests have been made and the two men remain at large. A forensic post-mortem examination, scheduled to determine the exact cause and manner of Smart’s death, is set to be conducted this week at the Forensic Science Centre located in Federation Park. The PCA’s independent investigation will examine whether the officers’ use of deadly force complied with official police protocols and national law.

Early yesterday morning, a female jogger was attacked and bitten by two dogs, widely reported to be pitbulls, on Lady Chancellor Hill – a popular recreational trail adjacent to Queen’s Park Savannah in Port of Spain, according to initial local reports.

Law enforcement officials confirmed they have received informal notification of the incident, which unfolded at approximately 6 a.m., but as of press time, the victim has not yet lodged a formal complaint with the Belmont Police Station.

In response to the attack, Superintendent Raymond Thom, head of the Port of Spain Police Division, ordered immediate stepped-up patrols on Lady Chancellor Hill. Thom also extended the enhanced security measures to other high-traffic outdoor exercise areas across Port of Spain, including Nelson Mandela Park and the broader Queen’s Park Savannah grounds. The move comes after months of repeated public complaints from recreational users about un-muzzled and untethered dogs roaming freely across these public spaces.

When reporters from the Express visited the Lady Chancellor Hill trail yesterday afternoon, most regular joggers they spoke to said they were aware of the morning attack but had no plans to abandon the trail, noting it remains one of the safest and most accessible places for outdoor fitness in the capital.

One couple who spoke to reporters said they learned of the attack shortly after it occurred, and drove up the hill specifically to check whether the aggressive dogs were still loose. “We were worried, so we drove up ahead of our walk to make sure the dogs weren’t here and the area was safe,” a woman in the couple explained. “But there will always be that lingering concern now, because this could happen to anyone at any time.”

A local jogger who asked to only be identified by his initials TC said he is a dog lover, but believes owners of potentially dangerous breeds have a non-negotiable responsibility to keep their animals contained in public. “Dogs really are man’s best friend, but owners need to stay with their pets at all times and keep them leashed so they can control them,” he said. “We all get to enjoy these public spaces, so it’s up to owners to make sure their pets don’t put other visitors at risk.”

The attack has brought renewed attention to the existing Dog Control Act enacted between 2013 and 2014, which outlines strict regulations for restricted breeds in Trinidad and Tobago. Under the legislation, six breeds classified as high-risk – including the American Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, American Bully, Dogo Argentino, Japanese Tosa and Fila Brasileiro – are required to be licensed, carry a minimum of $250,000 in insurance coverage per animal, and remain muzzled and leashed any time they are in public spaces.

Owners who violate these rules by keeping unlicensed or unsecured restricted dogs face heavy penalties, ranging from fines of $50,000 to $100,000 to up to one year of imprisonment. If a restricted dog injures or kills a person, the animal’s owner is held fully legally liable for the outcome. The Act also grants police officers explicit authority to seize and impound any dog that is not kept in compliance with regulations. Seized dogs may be placed with a new responsible owner, transferred to a stray dog facility, or humanely euthanized by a licensed veterinarian if necessary.

After enduring more than seven months of captivity, brutal abuse and false imprisonment at a private residence in Penal, a 42-year-old domestic worker named Sabita Basdeo has finally escaped her captors, leading to the arrest of a local woman and her teenage son, Trinidad and Tobago law enforcement confirmed.

Basdeo told investigators she was held against her will from September of last year through early this month at the Penal property, where she was forced to perform unpaid domestic labor without any permission to leave or contact her family. Her account of the abuse details unthinkable violence: repeated beatings, having her head slammed repeatedly against a solid wall, burns across her body, and even pepper rubbed into her skin as a form of torture. When she was finally rescued, medical personnel documented visible bruising across her face and torso, along with abnormal discoloration on her hands that matched her claims of prolonged mistreatment.

In an emotional interview with reporters at the family’s Penal Rock Road home on Sunday, Sabita’s husband Krishendeo Basdeo, 55, shared that his family had been separated from Sabita for far longer than the seven months she was formally held at the Penal property. He described the devastating scene when he saw her after her escape: her face swollen and disfigured by bruises, her complexion unnaturally pale, and she was dressed in filthy, tattered clothing. He added that the captors threatened to kill Sabita if she dared to speak out about her treatment, and forced her to perform humiliating acts against her will.

Krishendeo, a casual laborer who lives with a chronic kidney condition, told reporters he made multiple efforts to secure his wife’s release long before her escape. He attempted to visit her at the Penal residence twice, and was beaten both times when he tried to see her. He also filed multiple missing person reports with local police, but his complaints were never acted on prior to the recent public outcry.

Sabita was finally brought out of captivity on Saturday, when the 38-year-old suspect and her 17-year-old son took her to the Barrackpore Police Station. She immediately identified the pair as her captors, and law enforcement moved quickly to place both under arrest. Following her identification, she was transferred to a local hospital for a full medical evaluation and treatment for the injuries she sustained during her months of captivity. She was reunited with her two teenage sons shortly after her release, in an emotional meeting that saw the family hug for the first time in months.

In a public statement confirming the arrests, the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service said that officers from the Barrackpore Police Station and the Southern Division Task Force launched a coordinated response after receiving an official report of false imprisonment in the Barrackpore jurisdiction. The agency confirmed that the two suspects – a 38-year-old woman and her 17-year-old son, both residents of Penal – were taken into custody at the scene, and are expected to face formal charges including false imprisonment and aggravated assault. The police’s Victim and Witness Support Unit has also been assigned to the case to support Basdeo through the legal process.

The case drew public attention after social media videos of the abuse circulated online, prompting social activist and Trinidad and Tobago Red Cross Society Vice President Edward Moodie to intervene. Moodie condemned the abuse in the strongest possible terms, saying that the mistreatment Basdeo endured went beyond modern slavery, and amounted to some of the worst abuse he had ever encountered.

“These acts are unconscionable, they must be condemned at the highest level, and as a society we cannot stand by – we must demand full justice for Sabita,” Moodie said in a statement Sunday. After seeing the online content, Moodie reached out directly to Minister of Homeland Security Roger Alexander, Commissioner of Police Allister Gvearro, and the area’s senior superintendent to push for urgent action. He thanked Commissioner Guevarro for his rapid response once the case was brought to his attention, and noted that while the family credits divine intervention for Sabita’s safe return, they still need significant long-term support from government social services to recover from the trauma they have endured.

A woman who had been in police custody following the fatal shooting of local construction businessman Steve Ghany was released from detention early yesterday, after the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) ordered her release to allow for continuation of the ongoing investigation.

The fatal confrontation between Ghany and the woman unfolded at the 37-year-old’s Vistabella residence around 8:30 a.m. on the day of the incident. What began as a verbal argument escalated quickly into a physical altercation, during which Ghany — a married father of two who had worked in his family’s long-running construction business for years — allegedly fired shots at the woman from his licensed firearm. None of the rounds struck her, leaving her unharmed.

In the course of the struggle, the woman gained access to a second licensed weapon and fired multiple shots at Ghany, killing him at the scene. When law enforcement arrived, investigators recovered both firearms alongside 11 rounds of ammunition from the property. For four full days following the shooting, the woman remained in custody and cooperated fully with police interviews and investigative procedures.

After senior police officials consulted with the DPP on the case, the top prosecutorial body issued formal guidance that the woman should be released from custody while detectives continue building their case. Her attorney, Prakash Ramadhar, confirmed the release in comments to media this week.

Ramadhar expressed appreciation for the cooperation extended by both investigating officers and the DPP’s office throughout the initial phase of the process. He also noted that the defendant is eager to see the full investigation unfold, with the hope that key lessons can be drawn from the tragic incident as the case moves forward.

According to Ramadhar, his client felt profound relief after regaining her freedom, allowing her to return home to her children and immediate family. “She has thanked the wide community of people who have reached out to offer support to her and her loved ones over the past four days,” Ramadhar said. “She will be pursuing the necessary mental health and support services to help her work through the deep trauma of this entire ordeal moving forward.”

For any driver traversing the curving stretches of Naparima Mayaro Road, heading east toward Trinidad’s sun-soaked Mayaro beaches or the inactive mud volcano that once engulfed the village of Piparo, the busy New Grant three-way intersection often slips by unnoticed. What many passing commuters fail to recognize, however, is that this quiet crossroads connecting rural communities including Princes Town, Rio Claro and Williamsville has grown over decades into one of the region’s most resilient grassroots economic hubs, home to a thriving cluster of small businesses and the birthplace of a nationally celebrated grocery chain.

This junction has outlasted seismic shifts in the local economy, including the dissolution of State-owned agricultural conglomerate Caroni 1975 Ltd, which once employed hundreds of multi-generational local workers on its sugar cane, citrus and cocoa estates. It even survived the widespread economic disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic, which forced temporary closures for businesses across the country. Today, nearly 20 businesses remain rooted at the crossroads, with some evolving, some closing, and new ventures launching in just the past five years, continuing to draw loyal customers who have built their lives along this major regional corridor. As one long-time local resident told reporters, “You can get most of the things you need at this junction—not everything, but a lot of things. I think it is worth it to go there; the prices are sometimes better than when you go outside of the area.”

### The Historical Roots of a Community Crossroads
New Grant itself draws its name and origins from the Merikins, liberated African enslaved people who were promised freedom and land grants in exchange for fighting alongside British forces during the American Revolutionary War. What is now known as New Grant Junction was originally called Torrib Trace Junction, and it has hosted small businesses catering to cross-district commuters for as long as locals can recall.

The earliest permanent commercial operations were run by Chinese traders who set up the area’s first general stores along the main road in the early 1900s. By the 1960s, a public post office and gas station were added to the junction, meeting growing local demand for closer access to essential services. For local residents, the new amenities eliminated the need to travel long distances to the crowded urban centers of Princes Town or Rio Claro, cementing the junction’s role as a convenient community gathering point.

The turning point for the junction came in 1988, when local entrepreneur Mohan Persad purchased the junction’s original long shop, located on the roadway leading to Rio Claro and Torrib Trace, from previous owner Parsam Nanan. Mohan and his wife Shirley Persad transformed the small store into Persad’s D Food King, the first location of what would grow into a nationwide supermarket chain with a sprawling wholesale and distribution network. Today, that original location still serves hundreds of local customers every week.

### A Thriving Cluster of Local Enterprise
Today, the intersection hosts a diverse mix of businesses that cater to every daily need of local residents and passing commuters. The former Seecharan’s liquor shop has been converted into a hardware store, sitting alongside a gym, poultry outlet, barber shop, cyber cafe, multiple restaurants, and bars. A small religious and variety store has remained a community staple for decades, while street vendors line the roadside, displaying crates of fresh fruit, vegetables, coconuts and other local goods to catch the attention of passing drivers.

The New Grant post office and long-standing gas station open their doors daily to customers from as far away as Tableland and Reform Village. As locals stop to collect mail or fill their vehicle tanks, they often browse the surrounding shops, picking up fresh produce from street vendors or grabbing a quick meal from one of the junction’s many food vendors. The crossroads has even gained regional fame for its local street food scene, with multiple popular doubles stands drawing customers from across the area.

“ It is interesting because it is right there; it’s closer than going to Princes Town to San Fernando, and in my opinion, you get more value for some things. In particular, Persad’s grocery always has an offer or a sale, and it is like they consider the people who may not be able to buy in bulk or who need some more economic options, so I like it for that reason,” one resident explained.

### Persad’s D Food King: The Heartbeat of the Junction
No business has shaped New Grant Junction’s growth and identity more than the original Persad’s D Food King location. Local residents say if the junction has a heartbeat, it has been sustained by the supermarket, alongside core community staples like the gas station and hardware store. Today, Persad’s Wholesale operates as an international direct importer, carrying everything from fresh produce, dried fruit, dairy, grains and cooking oils to frozen and processed meats, canned goods, cleaning supplies, personal care products, home goods, electrical fixtures, appliances and seasonal merchandise. Its logistics network reaches more than 30 countries worldwide, but company leaders say the entire business model traces back to this humble New Grant location.

Ishvani Persad, marketing development executive and granddaughter of founders Mohan and Shirley Persad, explained that the founders started small decades before opening the New Grant location. By the 1970s, Mohan and Shirley were already running a small shop where prices were handwritten on brown paper bags, and sugar and chickpeas were scooped by hand for customers. That community-focused spirit shaped the New Grant location, which quickly grew into more than just a place to shop.

“Generations have walked those aisles. Stories have been shared at the counters. Trust has been built, day by day, year by year. And that is why New Grant is not just one of our locations. It is the original blueprint of what we know to be Persad’s D Food King,” Ishvani Persad said.

The founders chose the New Grant location for its strategic position between the east and south of Trinidad, a daily passage point for families commuting to San Fernando for work and school. It was also a deeply personal choice: the Persad family has deep roots in nearby Hindustan, and they understood the needs of the hard-working local community.

“They knew what it meant to build from nothing, to stretch every dollar, and to rely on trust above all else. At the time, New Grant was a growing community filled with hard-working families who needed access—not just to goods, but to reliability, fairness, and care. There was a gap, and more importantly, there was an opportunity to serve,” she said.

Built on a foundation of faith and community devotion, the business opened with prayers to Hindu deities Ganesha and Bhandi Mata, and was blessed by the founders’ parents. Today, the company embraces diversity, with a multi-faith staff and ongoing support for cultural and religious events across Trinidad and Tobago.

As the community continues to grow, Persad’s Group is moving forward with an ambitious new development project called “Legacy Plaza—the Gateway to the south-east,” currently in the planning and permitting phase. Built on the successful model of the company’s Grand Market in Barrackpore, the new development will create a one-stop shopping destination for the entire southeast region. It will combine retail space with an incubation hub for small and medium-sized local entrepreneurs, bringing national brand-name products closer to local residents and eliminating the need for long out-of-region trips for quality goods. The multilevel facility will also address long-standing infrastructure concerns, while honoring the Persad family’s New Grant roots, its founders, employees and generations of loyal customers.

### Unresolved Challenges Hold Back Further Growth
While residents and business owners agree that New Grant Junction’s greatest strength is its convenient, low-key alternative to crowded urban shopping centers, the crossroads still faces significant challenges that limit its growth. The most commonly cited need is a functional on-site ATM: currently, the nearest cash machine is far from the community, and many local businesses only accept cash payments.

Sharlene, a local resident who requested her last name not be published, said an on-site ATM would cut costs for working people. “There would be no need to spend extra money on taxis/maxis just to access basic banking services. People won’t have to carry large amounts of cash from Princes Town back to New Grant,” she explained.

Residents have also raised consistent concerns about road safety, traffic congestion and public safety in the area. Many noted that the junction’s pedestrian crosswalk is so faded that drivers no longer notice it, and most pedestrians have stopped using it entirely. Unregulated street vending has created unpleasant odors in the area, and the presence of three nearby bars means there is often no safe pavement for pedestrians to use, due to crowds and unruly behavior from occasionally intoxicated visitors.

“You have to be constantly on high alert. Where are the traffic wardens and police when you need them?” one local resident lamented.