Alleged killers of money-changer and daughter remanded
From left : Mark Rufino, Paul Chan aka 'Long Hair', Troy Abrams aka 'Rastama', Lloyd Sadloo and Seon Thomas aka 'Yankee'.
From left : Mark Rufino, Paul Chan aka 'Long Hair', Troy Abrams aka 'Rastama', Lloyd Sadloo and Seon Thomas aka 'Yankee'.

A GRIEVING widow on Monday, July 15, 2019, sat at the Sparendaam Magistrates’ Court, watching, as the five men, who allegedly killed her husband, moneychanger, Aaron Latchman, and her 18-year-old daughter, Arianna, were arraigned in court.

The men Mark Rufino called ‘Mark’, a 25-year-old labourer of Parika, East Bank Essequibo; Paul Chan, called ‘Long Hair’ or ‘Anthony’, a 37-year-old conductor of Dennis Street, Sophia, East Coast Demerara; Troy Abrams called Rastaman’, a 44-year-old vendor of Middle Street, Agricola, Eank Bank Demerara; Lloyd Sadloo, a 37-year-old vendor of Mocha Arcadia, EBD and Sean Thomas called ‘Yankee’, a 41-year-old electrician of William Street, Kitty, were all charged jointly for the capital offence.

The gang appeared before Magistrate Alicia George at the Sparendaam Magistrates’ Court professing their innocence by telling the court that investigators had ‘cooked up” the charge against them.

The Magistrate read the capital offence to the men which stated that, on July 4, 2019, at Robert Street, Better Hope (North), ECD, they allegedly murdered the Latchmans during the course or furtherance of a robbery.

The defendants were all unrepresented by attorney and were remanded to prison until August 15, 2019.

Relatives of the Latchman’s family were present at court to support Tracey Waheeda, who was the wife and mother of the two victims.

The woman, who sat patiently watching the five men arrive in court, cried as she addressed the media demanding justice to be served as she praised the police and their investigation.
“I can’t even sleep in the night…This is very hard, we are trying” the grieving woman said.
Also present in court were the relatives of the five men who showed support for the defendants, telling them to “hold the faith, everything gon be alright”
According to reports, on July 4, 2019, Aaron Latchman and his daughter had just returned from the city when the robbers pounced on them. Eyewitnesses said the bandits approached the businessman and demanded cash and valuables but he refused and a fight started between him and them.

A number of shots were fired and both Aaron and Ariana Latchman were shot multiple times before falling to the ground.

The father and daughter were picked up and rushed to a city hospital where they were pronounced dead on arrival.

An autopsy performed on Aaron Latchman revealed that he sustained multiple gunshot injuries while his daughter sustained a single gunshot injury. The man was shot thrice during the scuffle in his yard.

This newspaper had earlier reported that the killers allegedly told police that the suspect held in North Ruimveldt lived at Mocha Arcadia, East Bank Demerara and after the businessman and his daughter were killed, he took them to a house in Sophia where they “split the money, $150,000 each.” Police said the motive of the murder was robbery and not an execution.

Police information technology experts had enhanced security camera footage of the gunmen who fled the scene after killing the Latchmans.

The bandits appeared to have been familiar with Aaron Latchman’s routine and were reportedly waiting near his home.

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