‘Russian’ charged with 2023 murder of Jovani Baptiste

A murder charge will be laid against a Peruvian Vale/Clare Valley man in connection with a September 2023 fatal shooting incident.

Romano ‘Russian’ Andrews is expected to be formally charged today, Wednesday January 3, 2024, for the shooting death of Jovani Baptiste.

The Ottley Hall resident was gunned down around 8 am on September 7 while walking to the Sandals Resort construction site in Buccament Bay where he was employed as a laborer.

He was shot as many as 16 times and died on the spot in an area close to the Seventh Day Adventist Primary School.

Eyewitness reports reaching SEARCHLIGHT said that a shadowy figure was observed lurking in the area before the shooting occurred.

The announcement of the charges came in a press conference hosted by the top brass of the Royal St Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force (RSVGPF).

Andrews has previously been convicted of burglary- the most recent was a 12-month stint for handling $50,000 worth of stolen goods back in 2021.

Baptiste was the 37th homicide for 2023.

RELATED ARTICLE: Resident labels community ‘murder hub’ after recent homicide