Victim shot and killed in front of family

(CNS): Jovin Omar Fuentes (32), a father of two, was gunned down outside a Bodden Town mini-mart last summer in front of several members of his family who said they recognised and knew the shooter, the court heard Tuesday. As the crown opened its case against Javon James Dixon (29) for the murder of Fuentes on 1 July, Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions Candia James-Malcolm told the jury that once they had heard from these family witnesses, they could not fail to be sure of Dixon’s guilt.

As she outlined the prosecution’s evidence about what had happened on “that fateful day”, James-Malcolm said that Dixon had shot Fuentes once in the chest, which had damaged his heart and lungs, causing massive internal haemorrhaging, and despite the efforts of the paramedics, he was pronounced dead less than an hour after he was shot.

Dixon has denied the allegations. After he was arrested he admitted that he was at the scene but told police that the killer was a Jamaican man whom he knew only as “Blacks”. He said he was giving a ride to Blacks, who had got out of his silver Honda that day and shot Fuentes. In a panic, he had driven away from the scene before kicking this man out of his car, he said.

Fuentes had been in a white Honda Fit with one of his uncles, part of a convoy of three cars, one of which was carrying his grandmother who had just attended a hospital appointment at Health City accompanied by the family. On the way back, two of the cars, including the Honda Fit, had all pulled over at a mini-mart across from Gun Square in the heart of Bodden Town. It was at that point that Dixon had driven by.

According to the crown’s case, Dixon got out of his vehicle holding a small black gun and, in full view of the family members, had engaged in an argument with Fuentes over a debt of CI$175. Fuentes’ uncle had intervened to stop the argument and even struggled with Dixon to try to get the gun, which had gone off and hit the side of the Fit. But according to a witnesses, as the uncle pulled away, Dixon walked back towards Fuentes and shot him.

As paramedics tried to save Fuentes’ life, the police immediately began searching for Dixon based on the information given to them by the family members who had seen the murder and the gunman. Within two hours of the killing, Dixon was tracked down at his father’s house, where he was arrested.

During the interview with his attorney present, he told the police that he knew Fuentes and was friendly with him. He said that they had spoken that day about the debt, which was for a car Dixon had rented to Fuentes. He admitted to stopping on the road when he saw Fuentes and said they had discussed the issue, but maintained that he did not shoot him.

Dixon claimed that before the encounter he had picked up Blacks at the roadside near a butcher’s place by Will T. Drive. Although he didn’t know Blacks very well, he knew he was Jamaican and worked in construction and had given him a ride.

Dixon said that after Blacks shot Fuentes, he had panicked and left but had then managed to get Blacks out of the car, which he abandoned before he walked to his girlfriend’s house. She took him to his father’s house and he said they had been heading to the police station when the officers arrived to arrest him.

But James-Malcolm told the jury that when police checked out his story, it conflicted with CCTV evidence taken from the national network. She said that none of the family witnesses at the scene had seen a second man and they all said the shooter was Dixon, a man that they had all known for a long time.

James-Malcolm said that there was no “Blacks” and that Dixon had acted alone when he shot and killed Fuentes in front of witnesses. “Blacks was just a fabrication,” the prosecutor said.

Fuentes’ aunt was the first of the family members to give evidence. As she described arriving at the mini-mart and the few minutes before her nephew was killed, she said she was sitting in a red Vitara with her sister and mother waiting for her brother, who had gone in the store. As the silver Honda pulled over, she said she could clearly see Dixon get out of the car carrying a gun and approach Fuentes in the Honda Fit.

She got out of the Vitara and ran into the mini-mart to get her brother and tell him about the arrival of Dixon with the gun. She explained how Fuentes’ uncle had come to the car and struggled with Dixon and how the gun had gone off, hitting the door. She said her brother had called out to Dixon, “Don’t do this, man!”

She recalled Dixon saying that he was not going to do anything, but then he turned and walked back towards her nephew and shot him. He then immediately got into the car and sped off, she said.

Fuentes’ aunt told the jury she knew who the shooter was, that she had known him since he was a child and had clearly seen the gun in his hand as he got out of the silver car. She said that throughout the entire time she was seven to eight feet away with nothing blocking her view.

The case, which is being presided over by Justice Cheryll Richards, continues. Dixon is being represented by defence attorney Amelia Fosuhene from Brady Law.