POLICE LAST week arrested a man for the murder of Oksana Douglas, a seven-year-old girl who was murdered in Olympic Gardens, St. Andrew, last year.

O'Neil Hammond, also called 'Golas', of Portmore, St. Catherine, was last Tuesday held by police and slapped with a murder charge arising from the December 2005 killing.

Mr. Hammond's arrest came after The Gleaner's sister publication, The STAR, launched 'The STAR Hunt for Child Killers Campaign'. The campaign, which was launched on May 18, features the publishing of articles and appeals for information that could solve the murders of nine children featured. A $100,000 reward for information leading to an arrest is being offered in each case.

Police, acting on information, set up a roadblock and were able to intercept and arrested Hammond. The other suspect in the case was killed earlier this year.

Deputy Superintendent of Police in charge of crime, Oswald Ayre, has said "the case is now basically closed as we have the main suspect, as the other one was killed".

Young Oksana was among a number of persons returning from a birthday party in Olympic Gardens three days before Christmas last year when they were shot up by men driving a white Toyota Corolla station wagon.

Hammond's arrest is the first major success reaped by the police and The STAR in the hunt for child killers.