Two people in custody over murder in Layou

Two people are in police custody as part of the investigation of the murder of Tambu Patrick, 39, who was gunned down in Layou Sunday night, less than a month after another of his relatives.

Further, police have taken immediate steps to respond to an upsurge in other crimes in the area.

There have been reports that people have been shot at in the town and a number of businesses and homes have been robbed at gunpoint.

“There has been an upsurge in some criminal activity in the Layou district and it is of concern to us,” Trevor “Buju” Bailey, acting assistant commissioner of police – crime told the media at a press briefing on Monday.

He said that acting Commissioner of Police, Enville Williams, who also attended the media briefing, had met that morning with the leadership of the police force and “certain measures implemented with immediate effect”.

Bailey said:

“The persons in Layou, the citizens in Layou can be comforted in knowing that the police will not walk away. We will be relentless. We will, as far as humanly practicable, perform our duties to ensure that the public peace is maintained and that the citizens of St. Vincent and the Grenadines and, more so, the residents of Layou can walk the streets of Layou at any time and feel comfortable.

“You will see the police; you will feel the police. There are times that you may be inconvenienced but be sure that the inconvenience that may occur, it is in the best interest of St. Vincent and the Grenadines and the citizens of the surrounding areas of Layou, Buccament and those areas.”

Bailey was speaking the day after Patrick died at the scene in Ruthland Vale, Layou after he was shot multiple times by assailant(s) who pursued him even as he attempted to find refuge in a nearby home.

Bailey said that police responded around 7:45 p.m. to a report of gunshots in the Ruthland Vale area.

Patrick’s body was discovered with multiple gunshot wounds and the Major Crime and Crime Scene units processed the scene and collected exhibits.

“That crime scene spans a wide area in the Layou district. It was not confined to where the body was discovered,” Bailey said.

“The entire scene was processed and several exhibits retrieved. The investigation is very much alive. Two persons are in custody assisting police with that investigation.

Meanwhile, Delano Patrick aka Smoke died in hospital, where he was taken after being shot in Middle Street, Layou around 1 a.m. on Oct. 15, police said in a statement.

Source said that he was shot some 10 times.

The police statement said that preliminary information was that Patrick was on his way home when he was accosted by an assailant(s) and shot him multiple times about his body.