Naphtali shot dead

Deceased’s sister: They set him up and kill him!

Police are investigating the shooting death of 27-year-old Naphtali Diaz of Paul’s Avenue.{{more}} The incident occurred sometime around 10 p.m. on Sunday, May 5, in Paul’s Avenue, and according to police, Diaz died after sustaining bullet wounds to the head and chest.

Radica Dopwell, the deceased man’s sister, told SEARCHLIGHT that she believes that her brother was set up.

“They set him up and kill him,” she said.

She explained that Diaz was at a shop in the area and had responded to a phone call.

Radica said that she understood that her brother had purchased a “pt” of rum and said “all yuh doh drink all de rum, ah comin’ back.”

But he never returned.

She said that she and her older brother were beginning to get close.

“We were getting there,” she said.

Diaz had a number of run-ins with the law and had served time in jail for a gun related incident which occurred in 2007.

In December 2011, he was arrested for allegedly trespassing on the property of the Murray Heights Hotel.

Prior to that arrest, Diaz had accused the police of character assassination, after he was one of eight men whose mug shots appeared in a wanted advertisement published by the police, in response to a series of robberies committed in the Kingstown area.

But mom, Laverne Dopwell, said that despite the negative things that have been said about her son, he did not deserve to die in such a violent manner.

“Naphtali had his ways; he wanted people and people wanted he – but that doesn’t justify people take his life like that,” Laverne said.

She said that she knows that there are a lot of people who are rejoicing over the news of her son’s death, as there were many people who did not like him, she explained.

The grieving woman explained that her son had indicated to her that there were people who wanted him dead.

Despite this, the news of the death of her second child, first son, was devastating.

“I feel scared,” Laverne said.

She said she did not expect justice for her son’s death, because usually, under circumstances such as how her son met his death, no one is ever caught.

Laverne said that she is calling on the other young men of the area to behave.

Naphtali’s friend, David “Earthquake” Laidlow, also said that he knew Diaz since he (Diaz) was a youngster growing up in the community.

Laidlow said that despite the negativity that has been raised about Diaz, there was a lot of love in his heart.

“He good still; he means good,” Laidlow said.

He said that the death of the young man that he had come to know very well came as quite a shock.

Naphtali had one fault, Laidlow said, and that was that he refused to listen to people.

“If he used to listen, he might have been better off today,” the man said.

“He was no fool out there on the street,” Laidlow continued, but said that he (Diaz) had made some mistakes in life.

The matter is being investigated. (DD)