Three men arrested for murder
(CNS): Two men, aged 20 and 22 from George Town, and one 24-year-old man from Cayman Brac have been arrested on suspicion of the murder of Dinesh Asanka Fernando Wannukawatta-Waduge, a 36-year-old Sri Lankan national who was found unresponsive outside a George Town bar on Eastern Avenue early Saturday morning. Police are appealing for witnesses to what has been described as a “senseless and tragic incident”.
The RCIPS has located Wannukawatta-Waduge’s family and learned that his wife has serious health problems and the couple have a small daughter. Police said that so far, not a single witness has come forward to assist with the inquiry, but CCTV footage has helped officers begin to piece together the events that led to Wannukawatta-Waduge’s killing.
“The victim in this senseless and tragic incident was a hard-working man who simply wanted to provide for his family back in Sri Lanka,” said Deputy Police Commissioner Kurt Walton, who is urging witnesses to come forward. “His death leaves behind a wife suffering from a life-threatening illness and a four-year-old daughter, who is now facing the prospect of losing both parents.”
CCTV footage taken during the incident has helped investigators determine that there was an altercation outside Bananas Bar on Eastern Avenue just before the man’s death. Detectives said several people were at the location at the time and witnessed the incident and may be able to provide much needed assistance in the investigation.
“What is also truly sad is that although we know there were dozens of people at the location at the time, not one person has come forward to assist us in this investigation,” DPC Walton said. “We know that if this were your parent or family member you would want someone to come forward to help. All we ask is put yourself in this family’s shoes, contact us and help us get to the truth.”
The three arrested men are currently in police custody and no details have been revealed yet on how Wannukawatta-Waduge was killed.
The victim is the second person to be murdered in Cayman this year. The killing comes less than a month after Shaquille Bush (24) was gunned down near his home in Daisy Lane, West Bay. Although police arrested a 44-year-old West Bay man, believed to be Bush’s father, and a 30-year-old woman from Bodden Town, no charges have been brought and they have since been released on bail.
The RCIPS is now appealing to anyone who was at Bananas Bar or in the Dolphin Plaza area of Eastern Avenue at or around 3:30am on Saturday, 30 November, to contact the investigative team at the RCIPS Major Incident Room, at 649-2930.
