By Isanella Patoir
A woman has been detained by Police in connection with the brutal murder of Aaron Latchman and his 18-year-old daughter Arian who were killed during a robbery in Better Hope on the East Coast of Demerara on Thursday.
Commander for ‘C’ Division, Calvin Brutus told reporters at the scene that the woman was detained because she allegedly picked up some money which the two gunmen dropped during the robbery, put it in her bag and did not inform the Police.
The News Room understands that persons in the community saw when the woman reportedly committed the act and informed investigators at the scene.
“As the suspects fled the scene, cash fell down along the route as they went to access their car; one madam was taken into custody because she took some of the cash and had it in her possession,” the Police Commander told the media.
According to Mr Brutus, when the Police confronted the woman, she admitted to taking the cash.
Latchman was a moneychanger that plied his trade on America Street in Georgetown and was returning home at about 15:30hrs when he was robbed and shot.
The News Room understands that the man had just dropped off his 14-year-old daughter to after-school classes.
Residents told the News Room that the man’s 18-year-old daughter Arian, who was a medical student, was home alone at the time and the father had just arrived when the robbery and shooting occurred.
However, Police Headquarters in a statement said that both the father and daughter had just returned to their Robert Street Better Hope home and was parking the car when they were intercepted by two armed bandits.
“From all indications is that he travel from Georgetown to his home and as he entered his yard to park he was pounced upon by two males, both armed with firearm,” the Commander said.
The News Room understands that Mr Latchman put up a fight with the bandits, while neighbours said that they heard the father and daughter yelling for help but they were too scared to assist them. The bandits escaped in a white car with an undisclosed amount of cash; they did not have masks.
Mr Latchman and his daughter were shot multiple times and were rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital by public-spirited persons.
They were pronounced dead on arrival.
Meanwhile, Mr Latchman’s wife Tracey Waheeda and the mother of his two children was at work in Georgetown when the incident occurred.
The woman was too grief-stricken to speak to the media, but kept crying that ‘her baby is gone’.