A VENEZUELAN man has been remanded to prison after being charged with the murder of miner Rodwell La Cruz, known as “Kabaloo,” who was fatally beaten during an attack at a mining camp in the Siparuni River area in March.
Jose Armando Alsena Coll, a 31-year-old welder of Sheriff Street, Georgetown, appeared before Senior Magistrate Clive Nurse via Zoom at the Mahdia Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday, June 2, 2026.
Coll was charged with murder, contrary to common law, in connection with the death of La Cruz, a resident of Warapoka Village, North West District.
The alleged offence occurred on March 10, 2026, at the Iwokrama Protected Area along the Siparuni River, Region Eight.
Coll, who was arrested on May 28, was not required to plead to the indictable charge. Bail was denied and he was remanded to prison until June 26, 2026.
According to police, La Cruz and another worker were in a kitchen area at a dredging operation when they were approached by three men who accused them of stealing gold from a sluice box.
Investigators said the men were ordered to a nearby watch camp where they encountered another individual.
It is alleged that the suspects, armed with a handgun, cutlasses and a mattock handle, assaulted the men, inflicting multiple injuries.
The injured workers were later assisted and transported from the area, but La Cruz succumbed to his injuries while en route for medical treatment.
Police subsequently found his body with visible marks of violence and transported it to the Linden Hospital Complex Mortuary, where he was officially pronounced dead.
Two other men were also injured during the incident.