Zeelugt child murder: one in custody

June 6 2026

Police have detained a suspect as investigations continue into the brutal murder of seven-year-old Adriel Aftab Mohamed at Zeelugt New Housing Scheme, East Bank Essequibo.

According to police sources, the suspect, who is reportedly in his early twenties and from the same community where the crime occurred, is currently in police custody.

Investigators are continuing to gather evidence, although it remains unclear what led them to the arrest. A knife recovered from the scene is believed to be a key piece of evidence in the ongoing probe.

Adriel, a pupil of Zeelugt Primary School, was found dead in his bedroom after an intruder allegedly slit his throat during the early hours of Friday morning.

The same attacker is also believed to have stabbed the child’s 72-year-old grandmother, Haliman Itwaru, while she was asleep. She was rushed to the De Kinderen Regional Hospital, where she remains hospitalized.

The child and his grandmother were the only occupants of the home at the time of the attack.

The horrific incident has sent shockwaves through the Zeelugt community as investigators work to determine a motive and establish the full circumstances surrounding the tragedy.