THE Hunts Bay police yesterday detained a teenager who is suspected to be involved in at least five murders in the city. The teenager was held at a house at 60 Brettford Avenue in Kingston. His name is, however, being withheld pending further investigations by the police.

The boy is suspect to be involved in five murders that took place in the Coburn Gardens area of Kingston this year. The police also suspect the teenager of involvement in other gun-related crimes in that inner-city community.

The house at 60 Brettford Avenue in Kingston, where a teenage boy suspected of at least five murders was held, yesterday. (Photo: Karl McLarty)

Senior Superintendent Oswald Ayre, head of crime at Hunts Bay, told the Observer that the teenager was held after a lengthy period investigation and intelligence gathering.

"Months of investigation led us to a house on Brettford Avenue this (yesterday) morning, where we held the teenager and six other persons," Ayre said, "The criminals are committing crimes in the area and are retreating into some big houses uptown, but we are on their trails and very soon there will be more arrests.

The police said that the six other persons, including three women, were charged with trespassing on the works of the Jamaica Public Service Company after an illegal electricity connection was found at the premises.

The house, the police said, was owned by a drug dealer who has since left the island. The teenager and his cronies, they said, have since taken up residence at the premises. Ayre said the boy had taken on a life of crime after he witnessed his father's murder in January last year.

"His father was killed because he spoke out against the killing of a British-based drug dealer in his community. He was killed in front of the boy and from that he has taken up his gun and gone on a murderous rampage," Ayre said.

According to the police, the teenager, who was expelled from an inner-city high school last year, is believed to be involved in the shooting death of a female student of the institution. He was not charged for that murder because there was insufficient evidence to stand up in court, the police said. Instead the youth was placed in a counselling programme.

But the Hunts Bay police said the counselling has so far failed as the teenager has become even more violent and was wanted for a range of shooting crimes which have occurred after the counselling sessions he underwent.

walkerk@jamaicaobservwer.com

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