Taxi Driver arrested in connection with murder of Mocha businesswoman Desiree Hyman

Guyana: A 42-year-old Weedon Oudkerk, taxi driver of Paradise, East Coast Demerara has been arrested by the police in connection with the recent shooting and killing of a well-known Mocha businesswoman identified as Desiree Hyman, on Friday July 18.  

One of the prime suspects Weedon Oudkerk was apprehended by the police on Sunday evening, 20 July, following an intelligence-led operation that was conducted between 6 and 7:30 p.m.

The operation led the police to Dennis Street, Sophia, where they apprehended Weedon Oudkerk informing him that he was wanted for the murder of Hyman. 

Oudkerk denied any involvement in the murder before being arrested and taken into custody at the Providence Police Station where he remained in custody as the investigations continued. 

Hyman’s life before the tragedy

43-year-old Desiree Hyman was a well known clothing vendor of  Lot 625 Mocha, East Bank Demerara with her business premises located at Lot 297 First Street, Mocha.

The scene on the day of robbery 

Allegedly the 43-year-old businesswoman was robbed and gunned down in broad daylight around 2:30 p.m. on Friday July 18 as she was closing down her boutique for the day when two men on a motorbike approached her with the intention to rob her. 

While in the confrontation as Hyman was resisting, one of the two robbers armed with a handgun shot her six times with three bullets striking the left side of her lower abdomen, two hitting  the right side and one striking just beneath her right breast.

Leading the attackers to flee the scene and head north on their motorbike. 

The crime scene was then processed by the Commander of Regional Division 4B and his team of police officers, who recovered two 9mm spent shells suspected to be shot three feet away from the victim's body. 

Upon the swift response to the scene from the Emergency Medical Technicians of the Eccles Fire Service, a doctor from the Georgetown Public Hospital pronounced the 43-year-old woman dead at 4:40 p.m. 

Investigations remain active as the police are still probing into the case and have secured several CCTV cameras that were in the area to help identify the two prime suspects on the motorbike.