ONE DAY after the brutal murder of seven-year-old Adriel Aftab Mohamed and the attempted murder of his 72-year-old great-grandmother, police have arrested the man believed to be responsible for the attack.
The arrest was confirmed on Saturday by Deputy Commissioner of Police and Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum, who said the suspect was apprehended at his residence in Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara).
The breakthrough comes as investigators continue probing the horrific attack that occurred at about 04:45 hrs on Friday at Phase Three, Zeelugt New Housing Scheme, East Bank Essequibo.
On Saturday, Adriel’s uncle, Naseeb Mohamed, disclosed that his mother, Halima Itwari, who survived the attack and remains hospitalised, positively identified the suspect from photographs shown to her by investigators.
“My mother told me that is the man. She said ‘100 per cent that is the man’, and I know that the police already know and we’re going to work with that,” Mohamed said.
Police in Regional Division Three have been investigating the murder of the child and the attempted murder of Itwari, who was stabbed during the attack.
According to investigators, a relative went to the home at approximately 05:05 hrs and discovered the elderly woman injured and the child motionless inside the house.
Itwari was rushed to the De Kinderen Regional Hospital, where she was admitted as a patient. Her condition has since been listed as stable.
Police ranks who processed the scene recovered a knife suspected to have been used in the attack. The weapon was lodged as evidence.
The child’s body was subsequently taken to the De Kinderen Regional Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival by a doctor. It was later transferred to Ezekiel Funeral Home, where it awaits a post-mortem examination.
Investigators also reviewed CCTV footage from cameras in the area, which reportedly showed a lone male suspect in the vicinity around the time of the attack.
The murder shocked the nation and sparked an outpouring of grief, with relatives, community members and government officials rallying around the family in the aftermath of the tragedy.
Meanwhile, police have indicated that investigations remain ongoing as detectives continue to gather evidence and prepare their case against the suspect.
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