Sun | Oct 12, 2025

Businesswoman and man charged for deadly attack on St James policeman and his family

Published:Wednesday | August 20, 2025 | 1:08 PM
A court date has not been set.
A court date has not been set.

Detectives assigned to the Major Investigations Division (MID) have charged two persons in connection with the deadly gun attack on a policeman and his family in St James.

They are 38-year-old businesswoman Trafficia Malcolm-Demontagnac, otherwise called ‘Traff,’ of Catherine Hall in the parish, and 23-year-old plumber Kadean Nathan of Bethel Town, Westmoreland.

They are charged with murder, wounding with intent, using a prohibited weapon to commit a felony, conspiracy to commit murder, conspiracy to commit wounding with intent, and conspiracy to use a prohibited weapon to commit a felony.

The police say a third accused, 24-year-old Orlando Thomas, a carpenter of Argyle Mount in Westmoreland, was fatally shot during a confrontation with officers on Wednesday, August 13.

The Saturday, August 9, attack left 36-year-old Latoya Stephenson of West Village, St James, dead, while her husband, who is a policeman, and their child are nursing gunshot injuries.

Reports are that about 8:45 p.m., Stephenson and her family drove to a location along the Reading main road in Montego Bay to collect a key from Thomas.

The police say Nathan drove Thomas to the location, after which Stephenson exited her vehicle and retrieved the key.

On her way back to her family’s vehicle, Thomas brandished a firearm and opened fire, hitting Stephenson, the policeman, and the child, according to the police.

The trio were assisted to the hospital, where the woman was pronounced dead, while the others were admitted.

Following an investigation, Malcolm-Demontagnac was taken into custody on Wednesday, August 13, during an operation in Burnt Ground, Ramble, Hanover.

On Saturday, August 16, Nathan turned himself in to the police and was charged, along with Malcolm-Demontagnac, three days later after both gave caution statements outlining their involvement in the incident.

A court date is being arranged for them.

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