A little over two months after prison officer Devendra Boodooram was murdered, a man from east Port-of-Spain was charged with the crime.
According to a post on the Police Service Twitter account posted yesterday afternoon, Andre “Famo” Lavia, also known as “Brandon Thomas” and “Wetman Andre” was charged with murdering Boodooram on January 26.
Lavia is expected to appear in the Port-of-Spain Magistrates’ Court this morning.
Boodooram, 50, was driving along Frederick Street in Port-of-Spain after finishing his shift at the Port-of-Spain State Prison, when he was ambushed by a gunman near to St Mary’s College.
The father of two was shot four times- once to the head, once to the next and twice in his chest. He died on the scene.
His attacker than ran up Frederick Street, across Oxford Street and then towards Chardord Courts in East Dry River.
Within days of the murder, homicide detectives released a sketch of Boodooram’s killer but Lavia was only arrested near his home at East Dry River, on Sunday afternoon.
Police sources said that he was pointed by an eyewitness to the shooting during an identification parade held on Wednesday afternoon.
He was charged by Sgt Sheldene Bacchus of the Region One Homicide Bureau after she received advice from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).
Boodooram’s murder came amid threats against prison officers over excessive force alleged used by prison officers during a routine search exercise in January. Police had claimed that Boodooram’s murder was a case of mistaken identity as he was not on duty on the day of the alleged abuse.
