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Port Kaituma murder victims for burial today -alleged killer to be transferred to Georgetown

Mar 18, 2014 News

The five victims of Friday’s arson/murder are to be laid to rest today, while their alleged killer, Lenus La Cruz, is likely to be brought to Georgetown to face murder charges.
Kaieteur News understands the victims are to be buried at Port Kaituma after a funeral service at a church in the community.
A relative of the victims said that the badly burnt remains will be placed in two coffins.
The remains were handed over to relatives on Sunday after a pathologist conducted post mortems and took DNA samples from the victims, the lone survivor, Lisa La Cruz and her father, Lenus La Cruz, who remains hospitaised at Port Kaituma.
Reports out of the community indicate that Mr. La Cruz may be brought to Georgetown today to face murder charges and for further treatment for severe burns he sustained Friday night.
Forgiven father
Kaieteur News also confirmed that the 12-year-old survivor has been visiting her father in hospital and has stated that she has forgiven him.
From reports received by Kaieteur News, last Friday night’s tragedy started when the 50-year old businessman, who was under the influence of alcohol, began to scream and curse while claiming that persons owed him money.
“When he drinks he behaves bad and claims that people owe him,” a source close to the family said.
Kaieteur News was told that his wife, Lurlene McTurk-LaCruz, was in the habit of securing herself and children in a bedroom whenever Mr. La Cruz was in one of his drunken rages.
On Friday night, she reportedly again locked herself and her five children, including Lisa La Cruz, in the bedroom.
Doused bedroom with fuel
It is alleged that Mr. La Cruz went out of the building and switched his generator on and off. He then returned inside and began to bang on the bedroom door and demand that his wife open it.
When she refused, he allegedly shouted, “I going for the gas.” Kaieteur News was told that Mr. La Cruz had made previous threats to burn his house down, but because he had never carried them out, the family apparently did not take his threats seriously.
However, this time, the businessman reportedly began pouring fuel into the bedroom via a barred window.
A relative told Kaieteur News that it was then that Mrs. La Cruz instructed her 12-year-old daughter to go to the Port Kaituma Police Station and the child then fled from the building.
But according to a source who spoke to the 12-year-old, the rank who took the report told the child “Tell your stepfather that (name given) say to come to the station.”
According to the source, the 12-year-old told the rank, “You not listening,” and again explained that Mr. La Cruz was threatening to torch his home.
It is alleged that the rank again said: “Tell your stepfather that—say to come to the station.”
The child returned home but by then the building was on fire. She reportedly then alerted other residents who tried in vain to douse the flames and free the victims from the heavily-grilled building.
One resident even recalled tying a rope to his vehicle and the front door grillwork in an attempt to pull down the structure.
Lurlene La Cruz, 39; her daughters, Lea LaCruz, 14; Lavette LaCruz, three; and sons Labron LaCruz, eight, and one-year-old Levon LaCruz, all perished in the blaze.
Another source estimates that police arrived some five minutes after Lisa La Cruz had made the report and the building was practically engulfed by then.
This resident opined that ‘the police did their best,’ and it was the absence of proper fire-fighting staff and equipment that caused the tragedy.
Police Commissioner Leroy Brumell has said that he has ordered an investigation into allegations that ranks at the Port Kaituma Police Station did not respond immediately to Lisa La Cruz’s pleas.

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