T&T teen killed over cellphone

(Trinidad Express) A 16-year-old student was yesterday stabbed to death during an argument over a BlackBerry cellular phone.

Lester Richards, of Valley Road, Diamond Village extension, was a Form Three pupil of Gasparillo Composite School.

On Saturday night Richards, whose cellular phone was stolen, retrieved it from the thief who lives in the village, according to Lyncia Lee.

Richards was slapped by the thief after he got back the phone, his aunt said.

Yesterday, while on the way to a village parlour to buy bread, Richards was confronted by the thief, his aunt said.

The thief, according to Lee, stopped the vehicle Richards was travelling in and cut the teenager on his neck with a knife.

Lester Richards
Lester Richards

Richards came out of the van and during an argument the man stabbed the teenager once to his chest, Lee said.

She described her nephew as “a quiet young man who had a passion for mechanics”. She said he was due to take his first Easter exam today.

She said the family was still in shock and could not believe what had happened.

Couva police were searching for the killer last night.

The latest killing has taken the murder toll to 92. The comparable murder toll for last year was 80.