One Minute Reads ... News from across Jamaica

Teen slapped with murder charge

Sleuths assigned to the Kington Central Police Division have arrested and charged a 19-year-old following a foiled murder attempt along Gold Street, Kingston CSO, on Sunday.

Tyler Walker, otherwise called 'Puss', shoemaker of East Queen Street, Kingston, has been charged with wounding with intent, possession of a prohibited weapon, unauthorised possession of ammunition and using a firearm to commit a felony. Reports are that about 9:50 p.m., a man was walking along the roadway when he was pounced upon by Walker and another man, who opened gunfire hitting him. He was assisted to hospital where he was admitted for treatment.

Walker was subsequently nabbed by the police and faced an identification parade where he was pointed out. Following an interview, Walker was charged. He is to appear before the Gun Court on Thursday, February 15.

Senior citizen dies in crash

An elderly St James woman died as a result of injuries she received in a motor vehicle collision along Windsor Lodge main road in the parish on Tuesday.

Dead is 70-year-old Unice Edwards of Somerton. Reports from the Adelphi police are that about 9:30 a.m., Edwards was walking along the roadway, when the driver of a Toyota Allion motor car swerved to avoid a pothole. The driver lost control of the vehicle, collided in a light post then hit Edwards. She sustained injuries and was assisted to hospital, where she died while undergoing treatment. Investigations continue.

Shopkeeper charged with arson

A 59-year-old shopkeeper has been charged with arson following an incident along Cottage Road in Westmoreland.

She has been identified as Venola Forrest, otherwise called 'Sister', of Alma district, Grange Hill. Reports from the Savanna-la-Mar police are that about 10 p.m. on January 23, a man and a woman were at home when two vehicles drove up and stopped. A group of men alighted from the vehicles and started throwing stones at them. In a bid to escape injury, the couple ran into their house. The attackers left and later returned with Forrest in their company. They entered the couple's house, where they smashed windows, destroyed several pieces of furniture, and then set the house on fire resulting in damages amounting to $12 million. After the attack, they escaped in the waiting motor vehicles.

A report was later made to the police, and Forrest was taken into custody later the same day. She was charged after she was pointed out on an identification parade. Forrest is scheduled to appear in the Savanna-la-Mar Parish Court on February 13.

Cabbie accused of armed robbery

St Ann taxi driver Rajesh Brown, 24, has been charged following a robbery in Clapham district, Moneague in the parish, on January 25.

Reports are that Brown and another man, both armed with handguns, entered a grocery shop and opened gunfire at the operators, one of whom received gunshot wounds to the chest. The men then robbed them of one Samsung cell phone valued at $35,000 and $5,000 cash. The injured man was taken to hospital where he was treated and admitted in serious condition.

On January 31, Brown, who is of a Great Pond, Ocho Rios address, was arrested by the police, and on February 3, he gave a caution statement confessing to the crime. On Monday, Brown was pointed out during an identification parade and was later charged with wounding with intent, robbery with aggravation, unauthorised possession of ammunition and using a prohibited weapon to commit a felony. His court date is being finalised.

Hanover steps up fight against dengue

Medical Officer of Health for Hanover, Dr Kaushal Singh, told a recent meeting of the municipal corporation that the department has stepped up the drive to rid communities of the Aedes aegypti mosquito.

This is in response to the increasing number of dengue fever cases diagnosed over recent months. Ministry of Health and Wellness statistics show that Hanover ranks fourth among the parishes with suspected and confirmed cases.

"Year to date [end of the first week in January 2024] the total number of notifications of suspected dengue cases received was 690. Out of them, more than 82.4 per cent were treated as outpatients, while confirmed positives were 5.4 per cent [37 cases]," Singh reported. In a news release, the Ministry of Health and Wellness reported that as of Thursday, January 11, 2024, the country had on record 1,534 confirmed dengue cases.