RMC News (2026)

14/03/2026

One day after an unidentified man was killed while trying to cross the eastbound lane of the Beetham Highway, the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) reported a 41% decrease in road traffic deaths this year. However, pedestrian deaths remain a serious issue, with pedestrians accounting for 54% of road fatalities in 2026.

Sgt. Brent Batson, TTPS's road safety coordinator, highlighted the dangers of unsafe, reckless crossing, especially in areas with high-speed limits like highways. He pointed out that many fatalities involved pedestrians who attempted to cross highways despite nearby safe crossing infrastructure, such as the Sea Lots walkover.

While pedestrian safety remains a challenge, Batson emphasized that many accidents have involved people with no fixed place of abode, making it difficult to target specific communities for awareness campaigns. On the ground, Guardian Media observed workers and residents crossing the highway instead of using the nearby walkover, citing convenience as the reason for not walking to the crossing infrastructure.

One local, Andre Bramble, an NP worker, said he had crossed the highway for 21 years without any close calls. He advised pedestrians to take their time and be cautious while crossing, as some drivers are not considerate. He also suggested that another walkover closer to the Sea Lots Industrial Estate would improve safety.

Despite these warnings, some residents, like one who asked to remain anonymous, said they don't fear death while crossing the highway, claiming they can time their steps to avoid the oncoming vehicles.

14/03/2026

A journalist and a gentleman. That is how veteran broadcast journalist Edison Carr is being remembered by colleagues reacting to news of his passing.

He died yesterday morning after ailing for some time before his death.

Carr was one of the hostages at TTT building on Maraval Road, Port-of-Spain, during the 1990 coup attempt by the Jamaat al-Muslimeen led by Yasin Abu Bakr.

It was his voice who announced to citizens, on radio, that the National Alliance for Reconstruction government led by ANR Robinson had been overthrown by the Jamaat al-Muslimeen.

He was part of the news team at Trinidad Broadcasting working under managing editor Neil Guiseppi.

In his later years, Carr worked as a media trainer.

14/03/2026

A 56-year-old cricketer from Libertville, Ishmael Khan, has died days after suffering a serious head injury during a match in Rio Claro.

Khan, a member of the Strikers Cricket Club, was fielding at long-on during a game against the Police Youth Club in the Rio Claro Community T25 Cricket League at the San Pedro Recreational Ground on Sunday. While attempting to catch a ball hit for six, he jumped near the boundary rope but missed the catch and fell backward, striking the back of his head and landing in a nearby box drain.

Players and spectators rushed to assist him and he was first taken to the Rio Claro District Health Centre. He was later transferred to Sangre Grande Hospital and then to the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex in Mt Hope, where he was treated for a fractured skull. Khan died on Wednesday.

Strikers’ manager and captain, Christian Charles, said Khan had been with the club since its founding in 2001 and served as a mentor to younger players. Originally a wicketkeeper, he later became an all-rounder and was described as the backbone of the team.

Following the incident, the Rio Claro Community T25 Cricket League cancelled all matches scheduled for the weekend as a mark of respect. Khan’s funeral is scheduled to take place at his home.

14/03/2026

Opposition MP for Arouca/Lopinot and former national security minister, Marvin Gonzales has stated that the Opposition cannot support the extension of the State of Emergency (SoE) because the Government has not provided sufficient evidence to justify another emergency declaration.

Speaking during yesterday’s debate on the extension in Parliament, Gonzales argued that Attorney General John Jeremie failed to demonstrate that the country currently faces an immediate threat serious enough to warrant suspending certain constitutional protections.

He warned that a SoE is an extraordinary measure that directly affects citizens’ constitutional rights.

Gonzales rejected suggestions that the Opposition was unwilling to support law enforcement, pointing out that the People’s National Movement had backed the original SoE when the Government first sought parliamentary approval.

At that time, he said, intelligence presented to the National Security Council indicated serious

14/03/2026

SWMCOL: Fire At The Beetham Landfill Advisory To Public

14/03/2026

Thousands of citizens across Trinidad and Tobago will benefit from two new Mobile Legal Aid Clinics.

This is as the Legal Aid and Advisory Authority is expanding its services to meet increasing demand.

The units were launched on Friday at the Authority’s Head Office in Port of Spain and will visit communities across the country – the first stop is Cedros.

13/03/2026

An elderly man from Hillpiece, Philippine in San Fernando was severely injured after being attacked by two pit bulls last Friday evening.

78-year-old Ramraj Dookhantie said the dogs rushed out of a neighbour’s open gate, knocked him to the ground and repeatedly bit him as he tried to protect his throat. Two nearby men eventually drove the animals away using a stone and a fire extinguisher.

Dookhantie was taken to San Fernando General Hospital, where doctors treated him with more than 50 stitches to his hands and arms, leaving him unable to use his hands for basic tasks.

Residents claim the dogs have attacked people before and are often left roaming freely, causing fear in the community. Dookhantie said the alleged owners believed to be a police officer and a firefighter have not contacted him, and he is calling on authorities, including the Police Commissioner, to intervene.

Under Trinidad and Tobago’s Dangerous Dogs Act, owners of pit bulls face heavy fines and possible imprisonment if the animals are not properly controlled or if they injure someone.

13/03/2026

The death of 11-year-old Arianna Ramdial, a Standard Four student at Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha-run Caroni Hindu Primary School, has led to conflicting accounts about what caused her death.

Vijay Maharaj said early information suggested the child had bruises and that unconfirmed reports of possible sexual abuse were circulating, noting that investigations by the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service and the Ministry of Education (Trinidad and Tobago) are ongoing. He added that an autopsy will determine the cause of death.

However, a relative disputed those claims, saying there were no signs of abuse and alleging the child had been bullied at school. The relative said Arianna complained of shoulder pain after reportedly being pushed against a concrete sink by another student. Her condition later worsened with fever, vomiting and severe pain.

She was taken to Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex for treatment, initially diagnosed with gastroenteritis and later readmitted when her condition deteriorated. She died early yesterday.

Police said the child’s mother has been interviewed and the exact cause of death will be determined by a post-mortem, while the Education Ministry has launched an investigation.

13/03/2026

INTERNATIONAL NEWS - Jamaican woman and parents shot dead in New Jersey; suspect dies from self-inflicted gunshot wound.

A 37-year-old man fatally shot his wife and her parents before taking his own life in Berkley Township, New Jersey on March 10, 2026.

Police from the Berkeley Township Police Department responded to reports of gunshots at a home on Fairwood Drive around 5:00 a.m. after nearby residents alerted authorities.

When officers arrived, they reportedly saw a man enter the house and soon after heard additional gunfire from inside. Upon entering the residence, police discovered two people with gunshot wounds who were later pronounced dead at the scene.

Investigators identified the suspect as Vaughn Stewart, 37, of Maplewood. Police said he fatally shot the homeowners, 61-year-old Allan Russell and 60-year-old Michelle Russell, who were the parents of his wife.

Authorities said Stewart then pursued his wife, Deonna Stewart, 38, outside the home and shot her about 50 yards away along the roadway, where she also died.

Stewart later went back into the home and shot himself in the head. Despite being rushed to the Community Medical Center in Toms River, he was pronounced dead.

Upon investigation, police also found three unharmed young children in the house.

13/03/2026

Officer arrested after ma*****na evidence stolen and replaced with wood at Chaguanas Police Station.

A police officer has been arrested after two bricks of ma*****na that were being stored as evidence at the Chaguanas Police Station were reportedly stolen and replaced with pieces of wood.

The incident, which triggered a lockdown at the station, is now under investigation by the Professional Standards Bureau.

Reports indicate that the drugs were part of evidence seized during a police operation in Couva on February 24. The exercise involved officers from the Port of Spain Criminal Investigations Department Operations Unit and the Central Division.

During that operation, a Venezuelan national was shot and killed by police. Following the seizure, the ma*****na was lodged at the Chaguanas Police Station for safekeeping.

Investigators believe the drugs were removed from the station on the night of February 25. The theft was discovered the following day when officers realised the evidence had been replaced with pieces of wood.

Authorities say the exact circumstances surrounding the disappearance of the ma*****na remain unclear.

In a major development, a police officer was arrested at the Chaguanas Police Station on Thursday, March 12, 2026, in connection with the missing evidence.

The officer was subsequently handed over to investigators from the Professional Standards Bureau, which is now leading the probe.
The incident has raised serious concerns about the handling and security of evidence within police facilities.

This is not the first time such a case has surfaced. A similar matter involving missing evidence at the Barataria Police Station last year is still before the courts.

Investigations are ongoing

13/03/2026

Four police officers appeared before the San Fernando Masters’ Court on Wednesday charged with offences relating to misbehaviour in public office.

The matter was heard by Master Bethelmy and was postponed to April 23.

The officers charged are Police Constable Mervyn Eligon, Police Constable Daawuud Mohammed, Police Constable Alexsi Harripersad and Police Constable Akiel Smith.

Police Constable Eligon was charged with misbehaviour in public office with intent to pervert the course of public justice, and misbehaviour in public office with intent to pervert the course of public justice by falsely representing that he recovered a firearm.

Police Constable Eligon, Police Constable Mohammed, Police Constable Harripersad and Police Constable Smith were also jointly charged with misbehaviour in public office by conspiracy with intent to pervert the course of public justice by concealing the finding of a firearm and ammunition.

Bail with surety was granted as follows: Police Constable Eligon $275,000 to cover all charges, Police Constable Mohammed $150,000, Police Constable Harripersad $150,000 and Police Constable Smith $150,000.

Police stated that on January 5 a report was made to the Professional Standards Bureau regarding the conduct of the officers.

Investigations stated that on December 31 Police Constable Eligon went to a location in South Trinidad after midnight with a party of officers including Police Constable Harripersad, Police Constable Mohammed and Police Constable Smith.

Police reported that during a search of the premises officers found a firearm and ammunition inside a black plastic bag secured within a storage box in a garage area.

Officers later returned to the Princes Town Police Station and reported that nothing illegal had been found during the exercise and made an entry in the station diary.

Police stated that officers later made an entry alleging that a firearm was found at another location.

Police stated that the Director of Public Prosecutions Roger Gaspard SC advised that the officers be charged.

13/03/2026

A Freeport woman, Kamal Seunarine, has been awarded $510,000 in damages after being denied a Disability Assistance Grant due to residency requirements under the Public Assistance Act, which she could not meet after being stranded abroad during Covid-19 border closures.

Justice Christopher Sieuchand ruled that the State had breached Seunarine’s constitutional right to the protection of the law, noting that her inability to meet residency rules was caused by the Government’s decision to close borders and her deteriorating health.

Seunarine, 57, had traveled to the United States in early 2020 and returned home in March 2021, three months before applying for the grant. At the time, she suffered from heart disease, kidney failure, stroke, and Covid-19 complications. The court awarded $110,000 for loss of chance, $200,000 for distress and inconvenience, and $200,000 in vindicatory damages, plus legal costs.

Seunarine, who died last month, will have the award go to her family. She also has a pending constitutional claim regarding a 2019 robbery and arson attack on her home, in which she alleges that the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service failed to properly investigate, leaving her financially and emotionally devastated.

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