By CECILY ASSON Tuesday, January 5 2010

The search is on for two men, one of them armed with a gun, who police said abducted the daughter of five-time calypso monarch Black Stalin (Leroy Calliste) from outside her San Fernando home on Sunday night.

Keinya Calliste, 32, of Turton Street, San Fernando was bundled into her own silver Nissan Almera car and driven away by the men who police believed followed her to her front gate.

She, however, managed to escape her abductors by jumping out the car as the men sped off, a report stated. Police are yet to recover the stolen vehicle.

Calliste, a pannist with TCL Skiffle Bunch, had returned home from practice at the panyard on Coffee Street, San Fernando at about 10.40 pm when two men wearing ski masks pounced on her as she got out to open the gate to the garage. One of them had a gun.

Police said the car had an anti-theft device and when the men couldn’t start the ignition they pointed the gun at Calliste, bundled her back into the car, ordered her to start it then drove off with her.

As they approached Balisier Avenue, Pleasantville, Calliste managed to open a door and jumped out. She went to the home of a resident, who immediately alerted her relatives and the police.

Newsday learnt that during the abduction, the men told Calliste they would drop her off but warned her against reporting the matter to the police.

Calliste was too distraught to give interviews her mother Patsy said yesterday.

“It has left her very traumatised, but thank God she was not hurt. You hear about it happening to other people all the time but when it hits you, it is not a nice feeling. It is very painful,” Patsy said. Calliste, she said, was snatched in front of the gate leading to their two-storey house.

“She drove up here and came out to open the gate and bring in the car,” Patsy said.

“Two men came out of a white car, one of them had a gun and they confronted her. They just bundled her back into the car. I don’t know what they had in mind to do with her, but the fact that they went with her means that they kidnapped her,” she said.

“Her sister had heard her come to the gate, but minutes later when she looked out again saw them bundling her into the vehicle and driving off. From what she said, the men told her she had to go with them.”

Patsy said she was told the kidnappers demanded her daughter’s bank card and personal identification number (PIN). “She took no further chances and chose to jump out of the vehicle and went to someone’s house in the area where she told a woman what had happened. It was from there that she contacted us.” Patsy praised the police for their swift response.

Newsday was told the men attempted to drop Calliste off near Skinner Park, but the area was well lit and busy with customers at burger carts.

Investigations are continuing.