A COUPLE of years ago, the small village in the heart of the St Augustine South community, in an area referred to as the train line, was a close-knit, peaceful community.
Drivers can enter the area via Freeman Road, before turning right onto Warner Street. Seconds later, at a T-intersection, you can get a bird's-eye view of the area. The road continues for a few metres, where to this day, the partly-covered railway tracks stick out from the side of the concrete-paved road. Then the road comes to a dead end.
There are fewer than 20 houses in this village – some ramshackle homes built of wood, blocks and galvanise and others pressed close together in larger yards.
[caption id="attachment_1007568" align="alignnone" width="1024"] The entrance to Warner Street, St Augustine south from Trantrill Road. - AYANNA KINSALE[/caption]
On the outskirts of the village, just a handful of businesses attract customers during the day. There are three parlours that sell basic necessities such as cigarettes, soft drinks and biscuits.
There’s one fruit and vegetable business place – Jeffery's Market place – just outside the entrance to the village. An employee said, as he walked back inside, “That’s their problem to worry about. It not bothering out there,” when asked if the business has been affected by the recent crimes.
At the heart of the community, prayers were heard coming from the Sukh Shanti Bhakti Mandali Hindu temple on Monday between 8 and 10 am. This temple was built by SWAHA nearly two decades ago, according to its website.
For some time, the temple’s presence made a difference in the lives of the residents, but interference from criminals who live nearby have hampered its outreach efforts.
[caption id="attachment_1007578" align="alignnone" width="960"] Pundit Hardeo Persad. -[/caption]
Within recent times the village shot into media attention because of its gut-wrenching, gruesome murders.
Newsday realised many of the residents are related and recent killings there, while not connected to each other, directly affected neighbours.
On January 24, Darshan Ramnauth, 16, was shot dead in front of the temple, days shy of his 17th birthday.
Police said gunmen in a grey Toyota Corolla drove to Freeman Street, St Augustine at around 2.20 pm and shot Geno Shah, killing him instantly and wounding two others, one of whom is a visually impaired man.
As the gunshots went off, Ramnauth ran out of his house to check on his grandmother Soorajie Mahabir, who lives nearby. The gunmen spotted Ramnauth and turned their weapons on him.
On March 3, Aneesa Ramkissoon, 26, was at her Train Line Road home at around 1 pm when two gunmen barged in and shot her as she knelt and begged them to spare her life. Her attackers shot her several times and ran away.
[caption id="attachment_1007569" align="alignnone" width="1024"] The Sukh Shanti Bhakti Mandali Temple, Warner Street, St. Augustine. - AYANNA KINSALE[/caption]
Her one-month-old son, three-year-old daughter and six-year-old son were in the bedroom of the house wh
