Fatal shooting of Berbice businessman: Suspect arrested, murder weapon recovered

Police have arrested the prime suspect in the fatal shooting of East Bank Berbice (EBB) businessman, Hemchan Utam. They have also located the firearm believed to have been used in the shooting, as well as a motorcycle belonging to the suspect.
According to the police, an intelligence-led operation on Thursday evening at Lot 54 Stanleytown, New Amsterdam, Berbice, resulted in the apprehension of Troyden Trellis, a 28-year-old man who is known to the police.
The police said a search was conducted in the suspect’s apartment, during which a 9MM pistol bearing serial number KL1973 engraved on the frame, along with three matching rounds, were found.

The firearm was discovered in a hidden compartment within the wall-divider in the living room.
Additionally, a black Honda motorcycle was found at the rear of the premises. It was identified as the vehicle used in the commission of the murder/robbery and the subsequent escape.
A 25-year-old female and the mother of Trellis’ child, who resides at the same address, was also present at the time. She too was arrested and placed in custody.
The firearm and motorcycle were seized and lodged. The suspect remains in custody.
Trellis is no stranger to the police. As a teenager, he was involved in a wide range of activities that got the attention of the police.
On November 21, 2015, Trellis and two others were accused of robbing a New Amsterdam businessman Nicholas Harrinandan and his wife of two cellular phones and $250,000 cash. They were armed with a gun and knives when they carried out the robbery.
In June 2016, Trellis was remanded along with two men whom police described as notorious criminals: Raymond La Fleur and Timothy Sampson, after they attempted to break into a business place.

Then in February 2017, when he was 20-years-old, some 509 grams of marijuana were found in a motorcar that Trellis was driving. And in January last year, Trellis was injured during an incident outside of a night club on Pitt Street, New Amsterdam. The incident involved the use of a firearm.
On Thursday, April 17, at about 10:30 h, Hemchan Utam called ‘Jetto’, a 54-year-old businessman of Edinburgh Village, EBB was shot by a lone unmasked gunman at his business place.
Reports are that Utam and his workers were conducting business when the lone unmasked gunman, suspected to be Trellis, pounced upon them.
Utam operated a retail store selling construction materials and also operated Jetto Trucking Service.
The suspect fired the lone shot during Thursday’s robbery, which injured Utam, and then demanded the money from the businessman before relieving him of the jewellery he was wearing at the time.