As police continue their investigations into the execution-style killing of Ricardo Fagundes, forensic investigators are working to determine if the car found on fire at Swan Village was the getaway vehicle used by his assailants.
Deputy Director of the Guyana Police Force’s Communication Unit, Stan Gouveia told Stabroek News that the forensic team is working to complete its investigation.
He noted that the police are still reviewing CCTV footage which captured a white car resembling the burnt vehicle that was used during the killing of Fagundes outside of the Palm Court bar.
The burnt car was found on Sunday night on fire at Swan Village on the Soesdyke-Linden Highway.
The discovery was made by members of the Soesdyke Community Policing Group, who reportedly received a call from a resident informing them that the car had been abandoned in the area.
Fagundes, also known as ‘Paper Shorts’, 42, a resident of Sandy Babb Street, Kitty, was riddled with bullets by two men outside of the Palm Court on Main Street on Sunday night, around 10pm.
According to the police, Fagundes was having drinks with a colleague in Palm Court when he received a call on his cell phone.
Shortly after exiting Palm Court, the police said several loud explosions, suspected to be gunshots, were heard. Fagundes was later found lying in a pool of blood on the road. His body bore several gunshots.
Police recovered several spent shells at the scene.
In the surveillance footage seen by Stabroek News, Fagundes was seen walking towards a black vehicle, which was parked in front of Palm Court.
As he approached the vehicle, two gunmen emerged from a white car parked on the eastern carriageway of Main Street, ran towards him and opened fire. After several shots, Fagundes collapsed. However, the gunmen still continued to shoot at him, running to the front of the vehicle where Fagundes lay.
Shortly after, one of the gunmen rushed back to the getaway car. His accomplice, then ran towards Fagundes, stood over him and discharged more rounds before he re-entered the waiting motorcar. The circumstances reflect that there was a `hit’ put out on Fagundes. The police have in the past been unsuccessful in tackling these types of attacks which bear the hallmark of organised crime.
The car sped away along Main Street. The police have not said if roadblocks had been thrown up in the aftermath of the shooting to intercept the getaway vehicle.
