Mother and baby murdered,
family, residents devastated
~ Two suspects arrested by police ~
MARIGOT--The tragic slaying of a 22-year-old woman and her thirteen-month-old daughter in the early morning hours of Thursday has left relatives and residents of Lowtown, St. James, stunned.
The next of kin are left to mourn the loss of Nejumbia Fleming, the daughter of Nancy Fleming and Denis Aventurin, and her baby Ronelyia.
A man and a woman have been detained in connection with the two deaths and reports reaching The Daily Herald late last night said police were on the hunt for a third person.
It is believed that someone killed Nejumbia and then set fire to the apartment in Lowtown after locking all the doors, trapping the 13-month-old baby inside.
French-side Prosecutor Jacques Louvier indicated Nejumbia had sustained a blow to the head and an injury on her neck as well as burns on her body. The preliminary investigation also suggested the baby had died of smoke inhalation, but the exact causes of death will be confirmed by the autopsies, he said.
French authorities named Nejumbia’s boyfriend and the child’s father R.O.H.K of Dutch nationality from Statia as a suspect. He gave himself up to Dutch-side police yesterday.
A 25-year-old woman R.D.W. of Curaçao, said to be a former girlfriend of R.O.H.K., was also detained by Dutch-side police.
Dutch-side police spokesman Inspector Ricardo Henson said in a release that R.O.H.K. “was … believed to have gone into hiding,” but had been located in Belvedere where he freely accompanied police officers to the station to give his statement.
Henson said that while R.O.H.K. was at the station, an order had been received from the Prosecutor’s Office to arrest him.
R.O.H.K. denied during questioning that he had any involvement in the case. However, he stated that a former girlfriend R.D.W. of Curaçao, who was presently on-island and with whom he had had problems in the past because of jealousy, had promised him she would take Nejumbia’s life at some point, the release added.
“Based on the information investigation officers received and their quick actions, the woman in question was located in Philipsburg and immediately arrested in connection with the case,” Henson said.
He continued: “R.D.W. denied having any involvement in this case. However, there are strong indications she is very possibly involved. The investigation is still in its preliminary stages, however. R.D.W. decided freely to go to French authorities for questioning while the male suspect remains in custody pending further investigation.”
According to Louvier, R.O.H.K. has refused so far to give himself up to French-side authorities, which will initiate an extradition process.
Louvier also noted that R.D.W. had suffered burns and appeared confused.
Family members and neighbours awoke around 5:00am to explosions and the smell of burning, and frantically tried to break into the ground floor apartment through the louvered windows and doors, but were unable to gain access.
Gendarmes and forensic officials on the scene later were forced to break down the entrance door with an axe to gain entry to remove the bodies.
Neighbours who rallied around grieving family members suspected the murder was a crime of passion, but no motive has been established so far. They said Nejumbia had been seen at a Breast Awareness function at the Megaplex on the Dutch side Wednesday evening.
apartment, as he also had been living there for about two years.
Asked whether R.O.H.K. had a history of bad behaviour or mental problems, she said: “He was always respectful to me. But he was bad to himself and had problems. Anyone that goes up and down exposing his body and private parts for no reason has to be a very sick person.”
Choking back tears, she said she could not comment on the private relationship her granddaughter had with R.O.H.K.
“She never told me she had any problems with him. But he needs to spend the rest of his life in hell. … Because of his behaviour and what I had heard about him I suggested to Nejumbia that he not come around here anymore. She replied, ‘Okay, Granny, if that’s the case I will tell him to stop coming here.’ She was so full of life, so beautiful, and now her life and a baby angel are gone forever.”
Nejumbia Fleming was employed in Philipsburg. She was born on the Dutch side and went to school there.
