A Fyzabad, Trinidad and Tobago couple whose son was killed by police on Monday afternoon following an armed robbery at Pennywise Plaza in La Romaine in that country said they are still stunned by his involvement.
Glen Dodough and his wife Melesia broke their silence publicly during an interview with Crime Watch host Ian Alleyne.
The couple are the parents of Greg Dodough, 21. Their son was one of six people who murdered two security guards during a heist. Allied Security Limited employees Jeffrey Peters and Jerry Stuart died on the scene. A third security guard, Peola Baptiste, is fighting for her life at the hospital.
Greg and three of his friends — brothers Kyle Ramdhan, 23, and Keyon Ramdhan, 22 — as well as De’Aundre Montrose were killed by police. All four were Fyzabad residents and attended the Fyzabad Anglican Secondary School.
In the aftermath of the tragic incident which made national headlines, Alleyne visited Greg’s family to get their side of the story. Speaking candidly, they said their life has been a nightmare since.
Glen said: “We try to give we children a good life, teach them the right thing, teach them the correct morals about life and the friends just carry him.”
I know my son do the wrong thing and I apologise to the family in mourning [for] what they did to them.
Photo of Greg Dodough retrieved from social media
However, Glen said his son was not known to be in criminal activity. He said Greg worked with his company Glen Sandblasting and Painting and was exposed to philanthropy at a young age – his family holds an annual Christmas toy drive and his mom decorates the Oropouche and Fyzabad Police Stations during the season for free.
He added: “That [criminal] side of my son, I don’t know it… This is a shock to me and he mother, to the whole family.”
Glen also said that his son’s demise should serve as a cautionary tale to parents who do not know their children’s friends.
He said: “Parents who feel they know they children, get to know they friends and even self they know they friends, find out they friends friends. Is the friends…the bad influence out there! Me eh making no excuse for my son. He do the wrong thing, yes, and I apologise again to the family…”
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Greg would have celebrated his 22nd birthday on Sunday, September 25. He was also expected to accompany his father to Barbados on Tuesday as their company was hired for a job over there. His suitcase was already packed.
Melesia, who sat silently as her husband spoke with Alleyne, eventually chimed in once questioned. Her head was bent downward as she stared blankly at the ground.
She said: “I know the kind of child I raised and that is not him…”
“Greg was so loving, Greg will help anybody on the road. He will do anything for anybody. This is not Greg.”
Moreover, she asked members of the public to sympathise with some parents as all are not delinquent.
She said: “People will always say negative things about parents when children get dey self in trouble but don’t always blame parents… Not all parents does fail. It have parents who does go out dey and do what it takes to have dey children on the correct road. I stay home and make sure that my children was taken care of. It have nothing I didn’t do to make sure my children was on the right track… nothing. Don’t always blame parents, parents does go the mile for dey children but it have the minute that friends does get to your children…”
