Arima pensioner found dead in ransacked bedroom at home
Senior Reporter
anna-lisa.paul@guardian.co.tt
A 61-year-old pensioner, who was recovering from eye surgery, was found dead at her Arima house following an alleged home invasion on Monday.
The body of Leela Hyacinth Danclar was discovered in her ransacked bedroom by police officers who responded to a call from relatives who were unable to reach her.
She was found lying on the floor with a pillow over her face and a sheet partially covering her body.
No apparent marks of violence were seen about the body, except for blood found smeared around her genital region.
Danclar’s 90-year-old mother, who suffers from advanced dementia and also lives in the house, located at John Shaw Avenue, was found unharmed in another bedroom.
Sgt Kevin Ashing, of the Court and Process Branch in Port-of-Spain, who lives nearby, was contacted by Danclar’s relative on Monday evening, after calls to her cell phone went unanswered.
Danclar underwent eye surgery at the Couva Hospital on Sunday, following which she returned home to recuperate.
The female relative reportedly visited Danclar at least twice daily to drop off food and other supplies for her and her mother.
The relative allegedly contacted Ashing after being unable to reach Danclar, following which he sought help from officers at the Arima Police Station around 4.50 pm on Monday.
Responding officers found the front gate padlocked on the inside.
The lock was removed and officers were able to gain entry to the house, where they later found Danclar’s body lying on the bedroom floor.
It was not known up to yesterday if any items had been stolen from the house.
Neighbours shocked
and scared
A man who knew Danclar yesterday begged for answers.
He said it was a sad and horrifying end, “for a woman who never did anything to anyone and for that to come and happen to her.”
He asked, “What we really living in? What really going on?”
Calling on the Government to act immediately, the angry man said unemployment was to blame, as it was forcing good people to become criminals.
He said, “A man who don’t want to rob somebody … if you hear your child cry in the night for something to eat, you will go and rob somebody. You could stand the pressure but your child under pressure.”
The saddened man described Danclar as a “very, very nice lady.”
He said the neighbours were accustomed to seeing Danclar in her front yard, tending to her beloved flower plants, fruit and palm trees.
The victim’s house boasted burglar-proofed windows and entrances, while razor-wire ringed the perimeter walls and front fence.
Another neighbour said the Danclar family were extremely private people. She described the victim as someone who was, “a very quiet person who was only seen coming in and coming out to go to work.”
The neighbour said residents were anxious and apprehensive following Danclar’s death.
“Last night (Monday) I was so scared because to have it so close to home.”
Guardian Media was told that a neighbourhood watch had been formed several months ago, following reports of burglaries and break-ins in the area.
The group has since been responsible for the installation of lights throughout the neighbourhood, and is in the process of having CCTV cameras installed as well after they observed strange vehicles in the area.
Some residents have also reportedly armed themselves with air horns so they can sound an alarm if they see or hear anything strange.
Nine killed in home invasions up to June 30
Statistics from the Crime and Problem Analysis (CAPA) Branch of T&T Police Service (TTPS) indicate nine people were killed during home invasions up to June 30 this year. For the same period last year, the figure stood at four.
A total of 213 home invasions were said to have occurred during January to June 30; compared to 216 for the same period last year.
TTARP: Citizens need to know how to protect themselves
Executive Director, T&T Association of Retired Persons (TTARP), Reynold Cooper said the TTPS had a crucial role to play in protecting all citizens.
Claiming over 40 retirees had lost their lives within the last 20 months during various incidents, Cooper said, “That is an alarming figure.”
He said the police needed to educate people on how, “They can protect themselves within the legal framework.”
Acknowledging that many senior citizens tend to live alone after spouses die and children marry and move out – the TTARP head said they had 11 zones with nine in Trinidad and two in Tobago; where members were tasked to canvass each zone carefully and thoroughly, listing the locations of senior citizens that live alone.
He said part of the mandate for these zones was for officials to, “Try and visit them.”
Cooper said it was not only about ensuring the physical safety of senior citizens but also assuring their health and well-being as many suffered from ailments such as diabetes and hypertension.
He advised all citizens to keep the numbers of all police stations close at hand; and to get an air horn to sound if their homes were invaded, among other measures.
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