News Room Reports : Shaeed Mohammed, a 23-year-old resident of Providence, East Bank Demerara, appeared before Magistrate Alisha George at the Leonora Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday, where he was formally charged with the murder of seven-year-old Adriel Aftab Mohamed.
The charge follows the tragic incident on June 5, 2026, in Zeelugt, East Bank Essequibo. Mohammed was not required to enter a plea to the indictable charge and has been remanded to prison. The matter is scheduled to return to court on July 20, 2026, for a report on the statements.
The filing of the charge comes after the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) provided legal advice to investigators. Mohammed, who was arrested on Saturday, reportedly provided a full confession to police.
Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum previously noted that investigators utilized digital evidence to place the suspect at the scene. Furthermore, a post-mortem examination performed on Monday by Dr. Nehaul Singh confirmed the child died from an incised wound to the neck, with additional injuries consistent with the knife recovered by police at the crime scene. The child’s 72-year-old great-grandmother, who was also attacked during the incident, remains under medical care.
Following Tuesday’s court proceedings, the victim’s family addressed rumors circulating in the community regarding a potential connection between the accused and the family.
Naseeb Mohamed, the child’s uncle, firmly rejected any suggestion that Shaeed Mohammed is a relative. “I hearing that for a while now. Whoever want to believe that, let them come and prove that. I don’t know that man, I never see him before,” he stated, describing the accused as “heartless.”
While Adriel’s father noted during the court hearing that he recognized the suspect as someone he had seen previously at a shop near his mother’s home, the family maintains that they have no personal or familial relationship with the perpetrator.
