December 28 ,2020
Police are on the hunt for a Cuban national wanted in connection with the gruesome murders of a Princes Street, Lodge mother and her 11-year-old daughter.
The suspect has been identified as Joel Rodrigues who shared a relationship with the thirty-four-year-old deceased, Tara Krishnaram also known as Vannie of Lot 14 ‘B’ Princes Street, Lodge. The dead child has been identified as her daughter, Larissa Singh of the same address.
The murders are believed to have occurred between 8pm on December 25, 2020 and 9pm on Saturday, December 26.
The police said that enquiries with the father of Tara revealed that the suspect and Tara had an argument at about 5.30 pm on December 25 and a fight ensued between the couple.
The father retired to bed since according to him the couple would fight routinely. At about 8 am on December 26 the father woke up and did not check on the victims, having thought that Tara had gone to work and had taken her child as is customary.
At about 8.30 pm yesterday, the father after realising that he was locked inside made checks on the room of the victims and discovered his daughter and granddaughter lying motionless on a bed and the ground, respectively.
There was a wound to the back of the head, left temple and the left side of the face of Tara. On the girl, a wound about six inches in length to her neck and what appears to be blood on her private parts were seen. A blood-stained hammer and knife were also retrieved, the police said.
The bodies are currently at Lyken’s Funeral Home awaiting autopsies.
When Stabroek News visited the scene of the crime, no one was at home. A nearby resident who asked to remain anonymous shared how horrified he was at the heinous acts adding that he knew Krishnaram since they were children as she grew up on the street. He shared that a while ago, it was noted that the woman was in a relationship with Rodrigues as they often passed by his home together. He said that he did not know anything of the incident until he saw an ambulance arriving on Saturday night. Two other neighbours said they did not hear any commotion during the time the victims were believed to have died.
Meanwhile, representatives of the Cuban community here have since come forward calling for the capture of Rodrigues. Pastor Oscander Rodriguez of the Hispanic Ministry at the Central Baptist Church who spoke with this newspaper stated that he and fellow Cubans are appalled by this crime.
“We are shocked over [what has happened]. This is really sad and we want to send our deepest condolences to the family of the victims of this terrible [crime]. All the Spanish community of Guyana is really very sorry about what has happened. Nothing can justify his actions. We totally [condemn] all [and] any kind of violence,” Rodriguez said in a statement.
Latin host of Hola Guyana aired on MEGA 102.1 FM, Alfredo Ballesteros has since made a public post on his Facebook page on behalf of himself and the Cuban community in Guyana offering condolences to the family and friends of the victims. He said that a number of Cubans in Facebook groups have since requested that any information on the suspect be transmitted to the police and added that they wished justice for the family of the victims.
