Gangster protected us
By Nalinee Seelal (T&T Newsday)
Bottles scorched with soot littered Covigne Road, Diego Martin yesterday morning, after being lit as flambeaux the night before to mark the deaths of two cousins who, police said, led a notorious gang on a crime spree.
Police shot dead Keron Charles, alias “Wounded”, and his cousin Kendal Charles, alias “Pooh Bear”, on Wednesday morning after a gun battle on a hill off Covigne Road.
Keron, police said, was the leader of the Covigne Road gang. He, Kendal and a third man were in a wooden shack hidden among trees when they opened fire on police officers and soldiers in search of suspects in the triple homicide at Factory Road, Diego Martin, which took place last Tuesday.
Keron, 26, and Kendal, 24, were killed in the shootout, while the third man, who is still to be identified, remained warded at the Port-of-Spain General Hospital yesterday.
When police searched the shack, they found a high powered rifle, a camouflage army kit, drugs and ammunition.
The deaths of the cousins grieved some residents of Covigne Road, although a few dared to express their relief that they were no longer around.
One woman, who knew the cousins from childhood, said Keron was a real troublemaker who walked around with a gun.
“That man used to rob people of their jewelry, money and even shoot people just to prove that he was in charge,” the woman said.
In one man’s eyes, Keron was a well-intentioned vigilante who protected his neighbours.
Keron, he said, was a talented football and basketball player, who made sure residents were not taken advantage of by gang members and outsiders.
“Nobody could come in here and tell Covigne Road people what to do, and how to do it, because he made it clear that Covigne Road belonged to Covigne Road people and he was the man in charge.”
The man did admit Keron dispensed his brand of justice through the barrel of a gun.
“If any resident stole from another resident, he was shot in the leg or hand, to let him know that stealing from another brother from the community was not allowed,” said the man.
The man feared that with Keron dead, a gang whose members were mainly Muslims, would move in on Covigne Road.
“Covigne Road gone through and now the police will have a lot of work because they kill the one man (Keron) who protected us,” he said.
Another resident disagreed and said Keron led a lawless band of youths who terrorised, not protected, the community.
While residents shared different views about Keron’s character, most were unanimous in their opinion of Kendal, who they said was not a bad person.
The woman who saw Keron as a troublemaker felt sorry to know that Kendal had been killed.
“If someone had given him the right opportunity, he would have been alive today,” she said.
Kendal tried to earn an honest living by selling shelled pigeon peas and fruits, but when this did not work out, he moved on to a life of robberies.
“I sorry he dead, because he was not an evil person,” said the woman. Others said Kendal followed the bad company of his cousin.