Trinidad: ‘Hero’ homeowner shot dead in St Ann’s

(Trinidad Guardian) The usually subdued residential St Ann’s community recoiled in horror on Monday after a would-be robber shot dead a resident who wrestled with a gunman who attempted to storm a house.

Residents said the murder of Matthew De Silva was part of a trend of violent crime affecting the once safe community located a short distance away from the Prime Minister’s official residence.

De Silva, 36, was at the home of a friend along Hutton Road playing a game of cards when an armed intruder walked into the house after his friend’s girlfriend arrived around 2 am.

According to police, De Silva, who was confronted by the armed man, attempted to overpower him. During the struggle, the gun went off and De Silva was shot several times.

The gunman then fled the scene along with two other accomplices who were outside the house via a drain located to the back of the properties located along Hutton Road.

De Silva was taken to the Port-of-Spain General Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

De Silva’s wife, Megan, who was overwhelmed with grief, described her husband as her hero.

“He sacrificed his life to save our two friends. He is my hero.”

She said in recent times crime has increased in terms of robberies and home invasions.

“There has been a lot of incidents. Recently right up the street two homes were cleaned out. It is scary. Nobody wants to walk around. It’s really bad and like people don’t care. This is sad that it takes something like this for people to realise that is going on. People suffering.”

Former national security minister Carl Alfonso, who lives in the district, said crime had ballooned in the recent months.

He suggested that “outsiders” were gaining access to houses, via an ongoing box drain project in an adjacent street.

“It has gotten out of hand. In recent months we have noticed an upsurge and we don’t know exactly why.”

Alfonso, a former Chief of Defence Staff, said people need to change their lifestyle “for obvious reasons” and “step up on security awareness.”

He said that while there was no residents’ association in the area he had received many calls from concerned citizens on the heels of this latest murder. He said the time is right for the forming of a neighbourhood watch group.

“We cannot blame the police...Gary and his boys. We all have to help them. We have to be our brother’s keeper and do something so if we see something strange or someone strange we can call someone.”

Alfonso said residents are even seeking a town meeting with their parliamentary representative— Ministry of National Security Stuart Young.

Young in an immediate response extended his deepest condolences to the De Silva family.

“The loss of every single life of law-abiding citizens is tragic and traumatic. I have been pushing hard to fight the criminal elements in our society. Once again, the loss of an innocent life was due to the use of an illegal firearm or firearms. My deepest and sincerest sympathy and condolences go out to Mr De Silva’s family. My thoughts and prayers are with them. We will not rest in our fight against criminality.”