By STACY MOORE Friday, October 23 2009

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SAVE MY FAMILY: Elaine Garcia, mother of slain murder accused Peter Garcia, in a pensive mood at her home yesterday. ...

ELAINE GARCIA, mother of Peter Garcia, 30, a man charged with murder and who himself was murdered in the yard of the Rio Claro Magistrates’ Court on Monday, yesterday said her son knew his days were numbered and that he would be murdered.

Garcia said her son knew he would not leave prison or the courts alive and in fact had warned her not to attend court when his matters were called.

Garcia, 64, of Agostini Village, Rio Claro said: “He would say to me, ‘mom inside here is not a nice place and I need protection desperately or someone will kill me’. I did not know who to go to or where to turn. It hurt as a mother that I was so helpless. Peter saw his death coming.”

Garcia who was charged with the murder of chutney promoter Simboonath Kumar, was gunned down in front of the Rio Claro Magistrates’ Court by hitmen dressed in construction garb. A policeman escorting Garcia, escaped unharmed.

Garcia said that the last time she saw her son alive was two Tuesdays ago in prison. “He spoke of having his four children come visit him in jail. He wanted so badly to see them because he loved them very, very much,” Garcia said.

“I can’t even sleep at night now because I am fearful for my life and the lives of my family. Who will be next? And no one is protecting us. This family needs protection,” Garcia cried as she revealed that Peter was her third son to be murdered. The mother of nine has one more son still alive.

“Please, I am begging the police commissioner to act now, not tomorrow or later. But now because I don’t know what to do. I don’t want to go through this no more. I have lost three sons,” Garcia cried. The funeral is expected to take place tomorrow at the family’s home.

Meanwhile, five men arrested in connection with Garcia’s murder and who were placed on identification parades were yesterday released.

On Wednesday, the five men were detained by police in a house at Maharaj Hill, Coalmine, Sangre Grande. With the release of the five suspects, police said they have renewed their search for Garcia’s killers. Investigations are continuing.