A miner was beaten to death, and two other men were seriously injured during a violent attack at a camp along the Siparuni River, where they were accused of stealing gold, according to the Guyana Police Force (GPF).
Dead is 32-year-old Rowell La Cruz, called “Kabaloo,” a miner of Warapoka Village, North West District.
According to the Police Force, the incident occurred at about 10:00 hrs on Tuesday, March 10, 2026, at a camp located on the Siparuni River.
It was reported by the law enforcement agency that La Cruz and another male worker, both employed at a dredging operation, were in the kitchen area when they were approached by three men who accused them of stealing gold from a sluice box.
The two men were reportedly ordered to a nearby watch camp, where they encountered another male. Police said the suspects, who were allegedly armed with a handgun, cutlasses, and a mattock handle, then dealt the men several blows about their bodies, causing injuries, before leaving the area.
The two injured men were identified as a 36-year-old male of Blygezight, East Coast Demerara (ECD), and Fair View Village, North Rupununi, and a 25-year-old miner of Paramakatoi Village, North Pakaraimas.
Public-spirited citizens later came to their assistance and began transporting them towards the riverfront. However, La Cruz succumbed to his injuries while being taken out, and his body was later placed at a nearby camp.
Police ranks subsequently visited the scene and found La Cruz lying motionless with marks of violence about his body.
His body was escorted to the Linden Hospital Complex Mortuary, where he was pronounced dead on arrival by a doctor and placed there awaiting a post-mortem examination.
The two other injured men were taken to separate medical facilities, where they were seen by medical personnel and admitted for treatment. Police said efforts are now underway to locate the three suspects as the investigation continues.
