The father of a man “mercilessly murdered” in broad daylight in front of his infant daughter has spoken of his anguish at the killing and called for an end to the cycle of bloodshed on Cayman’s streets.
“My son was mercilessly murdered like an animal in the street… right now I want justice and that could cause more bloodshed and somebody else’s child dying, but that won’t bring back my son,” said Luis Hernandez.
Despite the instinct for justice from the victim’s family and friends, Hernandez said he does not want to see another “senseless killing”.
Hernandez, who has fathered 18 children, told the Cayman Compass he had a special bond with his 25-year-old son Divonte ‘Divo’ Hernandez, who was shot while assisting his infant daughter in a dirt parking lot along Sound Way, George Town, on Friday, 29 Sept.
Just by chance, Compass staff and the elder Hernandez walked onto the murder scene together.
The heart-wrenching scene of his son being placed into an ambulance, while police cordoned off the area in the presence of curious onlookers, whispering amongst themselves from the other side of the caution tape, was worsened by the sight of his granddaughter being scooped up by a family member. The playful 2-year-old, unfamiliar with the cruelties of life, had been wandering the scene only moments prior.
Five days after the grisly murder, when Compass staff returned to speak with him, the victim’s father was still visibly distraught.
“I can’t sleep, I can’t eat, I want answers, I want my son back,” he said, as his hands trembled to light a cigarette while recalling their final conversation.
“I was going to a meeting with Kenneth [George Town Central MP Bryan] when Divonte saw me and gave me $50, and said, ‘Go buy yourself a flask of Hennessy. I’ll take you home when you finish your meeting so you can relax for the rest of the day’,” Hernandez said.
“When I finished the meeting, two young guys who went to school with him saw me and said, ‘They just killed your son up the road’.”
A good man who didn’t deserve his fate
Family friends, who were on hand to console the father, told the Compass the killing was unprovoked and unwarranted.
“Taking a life is no joke thing, and I would know because I went to prison in ’93 for murder,” said an acquaintance, who requested his name not be released.
“Divo wasn’t one to go look for trouble. In fact, when we had a little problem a while back he was the bigger man and came and said, ‘Yo, this isn’t worth it’,” said the man. “That just goes to show you the kind of person he was.”
He added, “His daughter gave him something to live for. He was changing up his life and starting to progress and make something for himself and her. He didn’t deserve this.”
Divonte is the third person to have been murdered this year.
In the early morning hours of Friday, 5 May, Randy Kelsey Robinson, of George Town, was stabbed to death in a George Town nightclub.
Shaun Antonio Jackson, Matthew Stefan Glasgow and Jonathan Alexander Woodhouse were all arrested and charged with the killing. They each entered not guilty pleas to charges of murder and a trial has been set for 14 Nov.
Then on 8 July, Omar Ryan, of Jamaica, died following a heated dispute over a food produce business, which resulted in a bout of road rage that ended with Ryan being run over and killed.
Bryan Welcome, of Bodden Town, was arrested and charged with murder in connection with the killing. He entered a not guilty plea and a trial has been set for 20 Nov.
“These killings are all senseless,” said the Hernandez family acquaintance. “Divo’s life was taken, now what? If police catch the killer, he goes to jail, and loses his years behind bars and there’s nothing in prison. If police don’t find the killer, then the family just continues to suffer.”
He added, “But none of that matters because nothing can bring Divo back.”
The hunt for a killer
Police say they are searching for two suspects – the shooter and the get-away driver.
The gunman, who was wearing all-black clothing and a mask, is said to have been tall and slim, but no description of the driver was provided.
“It is believed that a second male was driving the getaway vehicle, a Honda Fit, that police have recovered,” said an RCIPS spokesperson. “The vehicle has heavy (illegal) tint, which is a common tactic employed by criminals.”
Police said that on Friday, 6 Oct., a witness appeal will be conducted in and around the scene of the crime at approximately the time of the killing, 10am, in an attempt to locate witnesses who may be passing through the area one week after the crime occurred.
“If anyone has any information about the murder, police encourage the community to provide it to the Major Incident Room (MIR) on 649-2930, not through social media channels where it can be misinterpreted and misrepresented,” said the spokesperson.
Police are also asking witnesses to make themselves known to officers so that appropriate measures can be put in place to ensure their safety, as opposed to remaining anonymous.
A time to mourn
“Right now, there are so many rumours going on that no one knows what to believe,” said the family friend, adding that a recent inaccurate report which claimed two persons were arrested has only made matters worse.
No arrests have been made as yet, but police say they are following numerous lines of enquiry and the investigation progresses at pace.
No date has been announced for Divonte’s funeral. However, a candlelight vigil has been planned for Friday, 6 Oct. Anyone wishing to attend the event can purchase a T-shirt for $25 which will go towards funeral expenses.
“Right now, we are still coming together as a family to mourn his death, and celebrate his life,” said Hernandez.
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