St. Catherine police step up Naggo Head operations after Portmore double killing

Police in St. Catherine South plan heightened operational activity in Naggo Head, Portmore, following a deadly attack that left two men dead and a pregnant woman hospitalized with gunshot wounds.

The incident occurred around 4:00 a.m. on Monday in an area known as White Lane. Investigators say the victims were asleep at home when a group of men armed with high-powered rifles and handguns entered the property and opened fire. Twenty-year-old Michael Elliot Jr., also called Bubble Slammer, and 17-year-old Kenri Banks were taken to hospital, where they were pronounced dead. The pregnant woman was admitted for treatment.

Nearly 30 spent shell casings from high-powered weapons and handguns were recovered at the scene. Detectives are working to establish a motive for the attack.

Senior Superintendent Leighton Gray, commanding officer for the St. Catherine South Police Division, said the force will target the criminal elements involved. "This is telling us that there are criminal elements within this space who are unaware of the direction of our country Jamaica," he said. "It further tells us that there are criminal elements within the space who are well equipped with illegal or prohibited firearms and ammunition or they are fully aligned with persons who are well armed and they have easy access to prohibited weapon to carry out such heinous act."

Gray said Naggo Head had been relatively quiet since the start of the year, but the shooting has disrupted that calm. He said elevated operational activity within the community is inevitable to restore order and allow business operators, shoppers, and law-abiding residents to move about without fear.

In other news, Prime Minister Andrew Holness said he will meet with Minister of Science, Technology and Special Projects Dr. Andrew Wheatley after Monday's cabinet meeting to discuss an Integrity Commission investigation report. The report, tabled in Parliament last Wednesday, found that Wheatley illicitly enriched himself. The IC recommended that Wheatley, the member of parliament for St. Catherine Southern Central, be charged with illicit enrichment, false declarations, and failure to provide information. According to the commission, he possessed assets disproportionate to his lawful earnings amounting to approximately $164 million and failed to provide a satisfactory explanation for the discrepancy.

Wheatley has rejected the findings as baseless and insisted that every dollar and asset he owns was lawfully acquired. He has accused investigators of ignoring evidence that he said would have significantly changed the outcome of the probe. There have been calls for Holness to remove Wheatley from the cabinet since the report became public.

Holness addressed the matter Monday morning during an interview with Cliff Hughes on Nationwide Radio. He acknowledged that the charges recommended by the IC are serious, but noted that no charge has yet been proffered against Wheatley. "So until that point we will observe the situation," he said. He added that he expects Wheatley to attend cabinet and that they will discuss the report directly.

Separately, detectives assigned to the St. Catherine North Police Division are investigating a case of unauthorized access to computer data and fraud after a St. Catherine man reported losing more than $300,000 from his bank account. Reports are that on June 16, the man travelled to Spanish Town to conduct business. Upon returning home, he realized his wallet was missing. The wallet reportedly contained $40,000 cash, an ATM card, a driver's licence, and other important documents. He retraced his steps but was unable to recover the items. At a National Commercial Bank branch, he was reportedly told that several transactions had already been carried out using his account, including the purchase of cellular phones and a $50,000 withdrawal from an ATM in Spanish Town. In total, $346,000 was allegedly stolen. The matter was reported to the Spanish Town Police.

Meanwhile, relatives of 23-year-old Matthew Perry Mason, who has been missing since Thursday, June 4, are appealing for public assistance. Mason's uncle, Glenroy Dixon, said his nephew suffers from a mental disorder and was on his medication up to the time he left the house. Dixon said Mason sometimes has seizures and would occasionally leave home for a day or so, but never travelled far. Dixon said he last saw Mason at their church Pen Pen, Old Harbour, St. Catherine home before leaving for work; Mason was not there when he returned. Relatives searched locally and received information that Mason was spotted sitting on the bridge at Three Miles in St. Andrew, but he was not found. The family reported the matter to the Hunts Bay police and also searched Olympic Way and the fishing village at Greenwich Farm without success. Dixon described Mason as of fair complexion and slim build, and said he is a calm youth who does not trouble anyone. Anyone knowing Mason's whereabouts is asked to contact the Hunts Bay police at 876-923-7112 or 119.