Victim says Jervis Valencia couldn’t have shot them

Jervis Valencia

As we reported on Monday’s newscast that five persons were shot at about nine-forty-five on Saturday night.  Eight women were sitting on Rosena Garoy’s resident at number four Banak Street, when Dennis Smith went over by the gate and spoke to one of the ladies. A short while later, three men on bicycles rode up and unleashed a barrage of bullets on the women. They ducked, ran inside, and moved five children out of the living room to safety before realizing that two of them were injured.  Dorris Moreira and Adelina Alvarez who were both shot, were also profusely bleeding. Amidst the chaos and screams, a knock was heard at the back door. And according to Moreira, that was when several men from the neighborhood came to their aid. News Five spoke to Moreira who was still shaken up and still had the pellets from the three shells lodged in her leg and thigh.  She was astounded when she found out that Jervis Valencia, the man who came to assist her, was detained for questioning in relation to the Banak Street shooting and the other shooting that occurred a few minutes later.  Moreira said Valencia was at her home when the officers arrived.

Voice of:  Dorris Moreira, Shooting Victim   (July 5, 2010)

“Somebody come to the back door di knock. When she di stand up deh , she ask dah who. And den di voice ansa dah me me me! Opene di door ! and when she open di door Jervis Valencia and the other boys from the block come in and say we hear gunshot, wi di come help. Jervis and the bwai deh get ina di room and help we. Ask me we paat I get shot and ting and den I tell ah  I think dah my foot.  But he saw my girlfriend  on the ground and den he proceed tend to she and then the police come. And when police came get een, Jervis was still ina di room di help we eena di room deh.”

Jose Sanchez

“This is very important thing to establish because as you know the Zericote Street and the Banak Street incident, the police has detained Jervis and two minors for questioning. It gives the impression he’s a suspect. In your thinking, could Jervis had done this?”

Voice of: Dorris Moreira, shooting victim

“No. I don’t think Jervis wah cud do that. How you and them helping somebody and hear yo di shoot up somebody ova di next side? I di talk about what I know and see, Jervis is the first I see, weh ask weh happen to yo? Weh paat yo get shot? When I explain to he, he mi di help my friend. He mi deh right deh in the room along with we, di help me. So, I nuh  know how come the police deh wah  hold Jervis fu something like dat,  when he di help we in the room, so I don’t know that really impossible.”

A few minutes after the Banak Street shooting, the gunmen rode across the boulevard and turned onto Zericote Street where they shot three young men.  One of them, Barney Cunningham was still in the hospital receiving treatment after he was blasted in his back.  However, Earl Pitts and another youth were treated and released from the hospital and were already back home at their turf on Zericote Street.  We were unable to find out from the police if Jervis Valencia was still being detained.