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eight others in custody In a major breakthrough in last Sunday’s deadly explosion, police yesterday arrested a Venezuelan man, Daniel Alexander Ramirez Peodomo, who has since confessed to the heinous crime, including that it involved a device triggered by a switch he activated before exiting a vehicle which was parked in the vicinity of the gas station. At a press conference last evening, Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum revealed that Peodomo entered Guyana illegally, just hours before the blast that killed six-year-old Soraya Bourne while she sat in a car with other family members at the Mobil Gas Station on Regent and King streets. Blanhum highlighted that the investigation was at a critical stage and he would not disclose information regarding the motive behind the crime. He divulged that the Venezuelan entered Guyana via water along with another Venezuelan at about 8 am on Sunday. According to the Crime Chief, the Venezuelan is affiliated with a gang known as “R Syndicato” and was supported in the crime by Venezuelans and Guyanese. Blanhum dismissed suggestions that the wrong person might be in custody. “…The issue of identification doesn’t exist. The prime suspect was positively identified by one of his accomplices.” Responding to the question on whether the investigation would be able to determine the type of explosive used, Blanhum said it was at a critical stage but that information would be released to the public over time. Owing to the fact that Peodomo is a Spanish-speaking national, a translator assisted while the statement was taken. “We have already secured a confession statement from him. Among other things he mentioned is that the device – he brought it in from Venezuela,” Blanhum said. He said that there are nine suspects in custody. He added that the police followed standard procedure when the suspect was arrested: he was told of the allegation and informed of his rights to an attorney and he declined. Blanhum said that attacks of this nature would always raise concerns and Guyana had engaged its counterparts during a recent Interpol-organised conference, to foster sharing of intelligence on individuals who are a part of organised criminal groups. He disclosed that there is another group in Venezuela that is creating havoc in other countries. Foreign Secretary Robert Persaud was expected to engage counterparts locally and internationally, reporters were informed. Commissioner of Police Clifton Hicken explained that the Guyana Police Force utilized the cameras within the hotspots to facilitate the investigation. He added that a new posture has been adopted where ranks would visit communities daily to ascertain the problems faced by residents and work to remedy them. There will also be a high presence of police and soldiers patrolling the streets in light of this incident, he said. There will be an increase in the number of servicemen along the border locations, the press conference was told. Minister of Home Affairs Oneidge Walrond said Venezuelans coming to Guyana through the ports are registered and details are taken before entering. Walrond acknowledged that the borders are porous and as a result some enter illegally. She said that the E-ID programme will address this issue. This programme will facilitate specific cards being issued to citizens and non-citizens. People who are in Guyana illegally will be given a specific period to register to be issued the card. Without the card they will not be permitted to transact business in Guyana or access services. After the time has elapsed and the person is yet to be registered, that person would be sent back to their homeland and other sanctions will be added. All immigrants are fingerprinted when registered. Walrond said that she had visited the survivors and they were recovering. The two children – 12-year-old Seddia McIntosh and seven-year-old Reshard Lord – who remain hospitalized, have been able to begin eating, she revealed. They will be kept in the hospital for a few more days for observation. Yvonne Jonas, 71, who sustained a fractured leg is expected to be released in two days. A plastic surgeon is attending to the child who sustained lacerations about the body as a result of the blast. The minister said the state will facilitate the funeral arrangements for Soraya Bourne. The Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security also pledged their support to the family. The parents of the other children involved will also be supported by the government. Walrond emphasized that the penalty for terrorism is death and the ministry and by extension the government will be pursuing that in the court. “A young innocent child has been murdered. Had this man been able to put that device in that bin, more lives would have been lost, … one Guyanese life is still too much,” she said. The police said earlier that they had apprehended Peodomo in an intelligence-led operation yesterday at Vergenogen Sideline Dan, East Bank Essequibo. A few hours before he was arrested, the police said, they had found the clothing he was wearing during the perpetration of the deadly crime at a location in Region Three. Police had also revealed that they arrested three suspects on Monday, after intelligence and CCTV analysis led them to a silver motor car with the licence number PSS 7874. Prior to the explosion, the police said, a man of mixed ethnicity was seen at the location with two bulky, black, plastic garbage bags. He reportedly attempted to dispose of the bags in a garbage bin at the station but was prevented from doing so by an attendant. He then headed south along King Street to the western side of the fuel station, following which the explosion occurred. The police said damage was observed to the Mobil minimart, storage bond, and four fuel pumps, as well as to several nearby buildings – including the KFC outlet, adjoining commercial establishments and portions of the High Court – consistent with shockwave impact from the blast. The area continues to be an active crime scene with senior officials from the Guyana Police Force and the Guyana Fire Service maintaining a presence while investigations proceed. Members of the public are advised to avoid the vicinity and cooperate fully with officials as the investigation progresses.
