July 16 - 22, 2016
& CrimeCourt
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TURKS AND CAICOS WEEKLY NEWS
Missing Dominican woman found dead BY DAISY HANDFIELD THE LIFELESS body of another Dominican woman was found on Wednesday afternoon off of Crystal Bay Road, Providenciales. Sonrineida Moreno Arias, a 26-yearold Dominican woman, who was reported missing from Sunday, was found in the bushes naked, with burn marks to the private parts of her body. Officers of the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force (RTCIPF) told media houses that they are investigating the death of Moreno-Arias, who was a resident of Five Cays, Providenciales. The last time she was seen was around 4 am that morning leaving her residence on Robinson Street, Five Cays. According to reports, around or before 4am she was picked up by an
unknown driver. She reportedly left work at the Shadow Bar around 3 am Sunday morning and was dropped off at her home by a co-worker. Her body was found by a search team on Wednesday afternoon. PREMIER MAKES APPEAL On Wednesday the Premier of the Turks and Caicos Islands, Rufus Ewing, issued a statement assuring the public that all crimes, especially those involving the loss of life, would be treated with high priority. He said: “While foul play has yet to be confirmed, it is suspected and I expect to be updated by the Commissioner of Police as the investigation into this recent discovery continues. “In the meantime, I wish to assure you that this incident, like all
other crimes and especially those involving the loss of life, will be treated with the highest priority. “It is in this vein that I have already reached out to the Governor asking him to begin engaging with criminal investigation units abroad, whose strength we can call on to assist us in bringing the perpetrators to justice. And I will be following up with him and the Commissioner of Police to ensure that all resources are behind bringing to close the spate of murders and other serious crimes within our borders.” Mr. Ewing expressed condolences to the family of Moreno-Arias. And addressing the Dominican community he said: “Our thoughts and prayers are with you at this time and I want you to know that we will do our utmost in bringing those responsible to justice.
Sonrineida Moreno-Arias
A vacationing couple robbed while asleep BY DAISY HANDFIELD
Shameka Watson and Tyshawn Corbett
The culprits allegedly cut open the balcony’s screen with a knife to enter the room
A COUPLE who visited the Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI) for the first time, described their vacation as ‘stressful’ and ‘painful’, after being robbed of nearly $40k in jewellery and cash while asleep in their hotel room. On Saturday at the Ocean Club East resort in Providenciales, at around 1:58 am, one of the victims contacted 911 and reported that two men entered their hotel room and stole over $5,000 in cash, two Rolex watches, along with an engagement ring and IDs. One victim, Shameka Watson, told the police that one of the culprits was being restrained by her boyfriend, Tyshawn Corbett. When officers arrived on the scene, the victims pointed to one of the culprits who was unsuccessful in getting away. On Wednesday police officials announced that the second man, Jamal Missick, turned himself in to police authorities after a nationwide ‘wanted’ poster was issued for his arrest. This reporter conducted a one-onone interview with Tyshawn Corbett and Shameka
One of the accused, Jamal Missick
Watson, who both expressed disappointed and fear after their ordeal spoke to this reporter. Corbett said: “My girlfriend and I were sleeping when I heard someone removing my chain [jewellery] off of the dresser. I woke up. I then saw two guys running out of our room. “I thought it was a dream, but I just reacted. I chased them outside and I caught one of them, and he had my chain in his hand. I just restrained him until the police came.” The victim explained that the accused fought back and that there was a struggle among the two of them.
Corbett added that his girlfriend celebrated her birthday on Monday and that he had plans to propose to her for her birthday, before the robbery happened. “We are just blessed to be here, because they could have killed us,” Corbett said. Watson described the situation as ‘unfair’ and said that she was thankful that it did not have a more severe outcome. She said: “It is not even the materialistic stuff, because we can get those things back. It is the fact that I haven’t been able to sleep since Saturday, and every time I hear a noise or a sound, I am jumping up. “I am paranoid. You close your eyes and you think there’s someone standing over you, watching you sleep. That’s an unsettling feeling. I will never be able to go to another resort anywhere in the world because of this experience. “This was supposed to have been an occasion of me to celebrate my birthday, and we weren’t even on the island for four hours before this happened. “The two accused have been arrested and are now in police custody.”