St. Elizabeth police detain 16 as Manchester senior dies in freak fall

Police activity and public-safety warnings led a wide-ranging Jamaica news update that included a fatal accident in Manchester, murder charges in St. Elizabeth and Moneague, and the reopening of the Troy Bridge.

Detective Sergeant Stephanie Williams cautioned Jamaicans to be alert for calls or messages from fraudsters pretending to represent banks and seeking account details, passwords, PINs or one-time codes. She said banks do not request those credentials by phone and advised anyone targeted to contact their bank and the police. The SIB investigated 363 electronic fraud cases in 2025, with losses exceeding J$61 million and more than US$390,000. Since the start of 2026, about J$30 million has reportedly been restored to victims through the courts.

In Manchester, police said 83-year-old Michael “Mike” Williams of Comfort district died after falling from a water-tank platform at a relative’s property on Woodlawn Road on Sunday. Investigators believe he missed his footing while doing maintenance work and struck his forehead on a rock. The incident followed another reported misadventure death in the parish, after six-year-old Robert Dos was hit by steel being delivered by a truck in Balini Heights, Mandeville, on Thursday.

St. Elizabeth farmer Dylan Taylor, 28, has been charged with murdering 61-year-old Ranccliffe Alco after a May 15 dispute in Beth Salem. Police said a confrontation escalated, Taylor allegedly returned with a machete, and Alco was chopped while trying to calm the situation. Taylor later surrendered.

Police also charged 42-year-old Audi Duval over the shooting death of 41-year-old food vendor Germaine Hedge of Silkfield, Moneague. The charges include murder and firearm-related offences.

In St. Elizabeth, 16 people were detained for questioning during a Monday operation in the Santa Cruz area, where police also seized a prohibited 9mm Taurus pistol. Superintendent Coleridge Minto said more than 100 officers took part, over 100 traffic tickets were issued, vehicles were seized, and targeted operations would continue.

The opposition urged the Government to move critical National Water Commission facilities toward renewable energy after an islandwide power outage disrupted water systems. Separately, officials reopened the Troy Bridge, linking northwest Manchester and southern Trelawny, after its 2021 storm-related collapse.