Girl, 17, found with bullet to head Saturday, January 28 2017 A 17-YEAR-OLD girl was found with her hands bound behind her back and a single bullet wound to the back of the head in bushes near her home at Calvary Trace, Arima shortly after 11 am yesterday. The victim was identified as Celine Thomas. Her boyfriend Carlyle Hamilton, 33, was hours earlier shot and critically wounded. According to reports, Hamilton was at home at 9.30 pm on Thursday when he was attacked by gunmen as he turned and ran out of the house, gunshots were fired and Hamilton was struck several times. He sought assistance from neighbours and was taken to hospital where he was treated and warded in stable condition. At 11 am yesterday, residents of Calvary Trace found Thomas’ body with her hands bound and a bullet wound to the back of her head. Officers of the Arima police as well as homicide officers were called to the scene and the body ordered removed to the Forensic Science Centre. When police arrived on the scene they were greeted by angry residents who accused them of not doing a proper investigation after Hamilton was shot and had they properly searched the area, they may have found Thomas’ body on Wednesday night. Thomas attended classes every Thursday at Al-Jabbal Mosque, Branch Road in Calvary. She left home just after 4 pm and she usually got home by about 7 pm, her mother, Cindy Cipriani said. Cipriani said her daughter attended Servol in Sangre Grande and was studying to be a nurse. She just had three more months to go before graduation. The woman said when she awoke at 5.30 am yesterday, her daughter was not home. “She has a friend who had a baby and I thought when she did not come home she had stopped by this friend. My daughter never stayed out, she never partied, never drank or smoked and was a staunch Muslim,” Cipriani said. “My daughter was a straight Muslim, she did not go anywhere. She was killed because she was seen with Kali (Hamilton),” Cipriani said adding that Thomas - contrary to what was being said - was just friends with Hamilton as he was seeing someone. “I did everything for that child, it was just me and her. She was my only company. She gave no trouble whatsoever and the only time she would come outside was to wash her hands and say her prayers. A really innocent life has been taken away,” Cipriani said. Thomas’ murder is the 46th for this year and 14th in Northern Division.
