A 24-year-old Venezuelan man identified as Tony Birza, also known as “Bush,” was allegedly murdered after stopping at “road corner” to speak to two Spanish girls at Ruby Backdam, East Bank Essequibo, around 00:45hrs on Sunday.

According to Police Headquarters, Birza and his brother were imbibing at a shop in Ruby Backdam on Saturday evening when they left the shop around 21:35hrs and proceeded home on a bicycle, along the Ruby Backdam road.

Whilst heading home, Birza and his brother stopped at a shed which is situated on the eastern end of the said road to speak to the two Spanish girls, and in the process of doing so, the suspect who is known to them approached the victim and a heated argument ensued between them.

The police reported that the argument quickly escalated and the suspect reached into the waist of his pants, drew a long, shiny object and dealt the victim one stab to the left side of his abdomen, before making good his escape on foot to an unknown destination.

An alarm was immediately raised by the victim’s brother, which resulted in several persons in the area rushing to their assistance.

A search was also conducted for the suspect but this proved futile.

The police were later summoned, the body was examined and a single stab wound to the left abdominal area of the victim was observed. The body was then escorted to the Leonora Cottage Hospital, where it was seen and examined by Dr. Tewarhri, who pronounced the victim dead on arrival.

The body was further escorted to the Ezekiel Funeral Home, where it is awaiting an autopsy to determine cause of death. The police are investigating the matter.