Four suspects appear in Court over break-in at Trinidad’s ODPM Office; Two granted bail

Trinidad and Tobago: Four suspects appeared before the court on Monday, January 5, 2026 after they were detained for a break-in at the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Management (ODPM) in Mausica. The incident took place on Christmas morning,  December 25, 2025.

The accused are: 

• Jonathan Joseph, 29, of 6th Avenue, Barataria
• Neka George, (45) of First Avenue in Pinto Road, Arima
• Renaldo Guy, 25, of Phase 5 in Beetham Gardens
• Anthony Hackett, 43, from Phase 4 in La Horquetta, Arima

The four suspects were charged by PC Jack of the Arima CID who was investigating the case. Two out of the four suspects who appeared in court, Neeka George and Anthony Hackett, were granted bail with a surety of $150,000 and must follow certain conditions. They need to remain at their residences and adhere to curfew restrictions.

George will have a curfew of 11:00 p.m – 5:00 a.m and is required to report at the Pinto post between 8 am – 8 pm on Wednesdays. Hackett was also under those terms, but had to report to his local police station.

Jonathan Joseph and Renaldo Guy were not granted bail. They will be held in jail until their next court appearance. It is scheduled for March 11, 2026. The four accused were first held for seven days under detention orders. 

 Locals React 

The locals are not pleased with the court’s decision of releasing two suspects on bail. Don Harrylal said on Facebook, “Breaking into a Government Building should carry severe penalties. They should never be granted Bail,” while Margaret Kinale wrote, “It's this "bail bill" that's having criminals running free and wild while citizens suffer daily.”

Some netizens are also expressing anger towards the authorities. Brian Gruny said, “And citizens are being charged huge sums for traffic related offenses. Crime better off yes in tnt.”