Trinidad and Tobago: Two charged with murder of woman in Chaguanas

Trinidad and Tobago: A 19-year-old woman and her partner have been charged for the murder of a 25-year-old lady following a violent confrontation over the repayment of a debt worth TT$4,500 in Chaguanas.

The accused are Danielle Connell (19) and 25-year-old Darion Phillip, while the victim has been identified as Shayanna Ruiz of Diego Martin. The couple appeared before a High Court Master on Thursday, August 6, to answer the murder offense charged against them.

According to the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service, the victim went to a residence located at Plumbago Circular in Edinburgh South on July 29 to collect TT$4,500 from her ex-boyfriend, who owed her.

The investigators believe that an argument broke out between Ruiz and Phillip before Connell, suspected to be the current girlfriend of Phillip, got involved in the fight. Ruiz was then taken to the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex where she passed away due to her injuries.

The doctors told the police that the woman sustained several stab wounds on her chest, shoulder, face, and left arm.

Police arrested and charged both Connell and Phillip with murder after receiving legal advice from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions. The investigation into the case is still ongoing.

Locals are criticizing the 19-year-old for ruining her and someone else’ life as well. One individual commented on social media, “See what acting on impulse gets you. 19 yrs....you now start to live. How you feeling now.. You together with yuh man now but just separated by venue.”

Another person said, “It matters not if d ex was really owing her money or not..d present gf had no right to take her life..whatsoever..!! Not everyone is your friend especially if it’s money and you have to try hard to get it back. Choose safety first.”