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Haitian police have arrested Bénicé Célestin, 52, in connection with the murder of two American missionaries and a Haitian citizen at an orphanage. (Photo via CMC)
PORT AU PRINCE, Haiti, CMC – Haitian police have arrested Bénicé Célestin, 52, in connection with the murder of two American missionaries and a Haitian citizen at an orphanage on May 22.
The Central Directorate of the Judicial Police (DCPJ) announced the arrest and will release a full report on the case in the coming days.
The victims, Natalie and Davy Lloyd, daughter and son-in-law of Missouri legislator Ben Baker, were serving as missionaries here when they were attacked by an armed gang. A Haitian citizen working at the orphanage also lost their life in the incident.
The orphanage, located in the Lizon area of Plaine, north of Port-au-Prince, is in a region heavily influenced by gang activity.
The National Police’s Press and Public Relations Service says it will provide further details on the case.
From January to May, more than 3,200 killings were reported across Haiti, with gang violence leaving more than half a million people homeless.
In February, gangs launched coordinated attacks on key government infrastructure, raided police stations and opened fire at the main international airport, forcing it to shut down for nearly three months. Gunmen also stormed into Haiti’s two biggest prisons, freeing thousands of inmates.
With Haitian authorities unable to deal with the chaos, a U.N.-backed police force from Kenya arrived in June to lead a multinational mission, nearly two years after Haiti’s government requested urgent deployment of a foreign force.
