Spanish-speaking man seen with bulky bags shortly before explosion

Last Updated on Monday, 27 October 2025, 22:23 by Writer

A Spanish-speaking man was seen attempting to place two bulky black plastic bags into waste disposal bin at the Mobil gas station on Regent and King Streets, Georgetown moments before Sunday night’s loud explosion that claimed the life of a six-year-old child and injured four other persons, the Guyana Police Force said Monday.

Police are working on the theory that the bags might have contained explosives. “Ranks from the Criminal Investigation Department Headquarters, led by senior officers, processed the scene and collected several items of evidential value, including fragments of black plastic bags and adhesive tape, which have been sent for forensic analysis,” the police said in a statement.

Preliminary investigations revealed that earlier in the evening, a male of mixed ethnicity, believed to be a Spanish-speaking foreigner, was seen at the location with two bulky black plastic garbage bags. Investigators were informed that he reportedly attempted to dispose of the bags in a garbage bin at the gas station but was prevented from doing so by an attendant.

“The individual subsequently left the area, heading south along King Street to the western side of the fuel station,” police added.

Closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage has been obtained and is being reviewed to assist investigators. The Force assured the public that every effort is being made to bring justice in this tragic matter.

The police force said a powerful explosion occurred at about 7:36 p.m. was heard on the south-western side of the compound, near the section where bottled cooking gas is stored. The blast caused extensive damage to the building, several parked vehicles and nearby properties, police added.

At the time of the explosion, a silver Toyota Premio, PTT 8275, was in the compound with driver 27-year-old Jenica Hooper, who is a teacher of Breda Street, Werk-en-Rust, Georgetown, her mother, Yvonne Jonas, 71, a pensioner; her nieces, Soraya Bourne, 6, and Seddia McIntosh, 12, a student, along with her nephew, Reshard Lord, 7, a pupil – all of Breda Street.

Bourne was pronounced dead on arrival, while the other victims were treated for injuries and remain in stable condition.

The explosion also damaged four other motor vehicles and caused minor structural damage to a nearby building.

This is the third such violent explosion, the first two having occurred on May 17, 2025 when a home-made explosive device ripped off the gate of the Ruimveldt Police Outpost around the same time that a similar device shattered a section of a concrete base of a utility pole at the Guyana Power and Light’s substation on Mandela Avenue, Georgetown.

Then, the police had identified two Spanish-speaking men as the suspects who were allegedly aided by a Guyanese man.