And then, less than two hours later, as a retaliation for that murder, a gunman targeted 45 year old Moses Almendarez Sr. He was riding his bicycle near his home on Hercilett Moody Street when he was ambushed by a gunman.
Jomarie Lanza visited the area today and spoke to his sister who found him when it happened:
Moses Almendarez
"To be honest every time they come and every time they come they threaten you and then they beat you up and tell you they will take you and kill you, I am tired if them and every time they come its like you have nothing for them but they have authority to take you and lock you down."
"I am not afraid to say it, I hurt a lot of people and a lot of people hurt me but I changed my life."
This was Moses Almendarez in 2023, he claimed that police were continuously threatening him because of his criminal past, and accusing him of facilitating other crimes in the city, but Almendarez told us that he chose to lead a peaceful life after spending time on remand. But that peace was taken away from him Sunday night by a gunman lurking in the bushes.
Nicole McDonald, Sister of Deceased
"We lost a general in Collet, we lost a general in Collet I was the one who went to the hospital with him and instead of the police go this way on the Main Street the police went the other way took their slow slow time and proceed to the Karl Heusner on Cemetery road."
"By the time we passed by Militia Hall he was already deceased. We found a pulse because I am a certified home care nurse. We found a pulse and I could not resuscitate him because he was throwing up blood so I was putting pressure on it."
Reporter
"How many times was he shot?"
Nicole McDonald, Sister of Deceased
"Two times in the head back there were four shots. We heard four, I was right over there taking care of my patient and when we heard Bang, Bang, Bang, Bang, four shots."
McDonald is of the view that if the city council had not ignored her requests to clear the bushy lot in the neighborhood, then Almendarez would still be alive.
Nicole McDonald, Sister of Deceased
"The guys that shot my brother Moses Almendarez came from right out of there laywaited him."
Reporter
"Do you know if he had problems with anybody?"
Nicole McDonald, Sister of Deceased
"Yes. He is notorious, everybody knows Moses he is a general to the UDP and the administration under Patrick Faber."
"Man it hurts me, all his blood gushed out on me in the police mobile. I was trying to bring him back and resuscitate him, but I could not because I am not God. They hurt me and he has 2 children and he has his loving mother and he has his sisters and I think he has some brothers, I don't know how many physically. I spoke to his mother and she came to the hospital. I was the first on the scene. I was the first at the hospital."
"This a loss for the Collet constituency, a great loss, a great loss."
