THE widow of one of the two security guards shot dead during September's deadly heist outside Pennywise Super Centre in La Romaine is pregnant with his child.
But Amanda La Vende's common-law husband Jeffrey Peters, 51, who was sent to an early grave by the bandits' bullets, breathed his last, unaware of the imminent addition to his family.
As a consequence, the child will enter this world with no father and will never feel Jeffrey's touch or hear his voice.
Newsday spoke to La Vende of Morvant on Wednesday afternoon, who said she was unaware she was carrying a child at the time of his death.
"I did not have any symptoms. I had no clue. Our last child turned two in December, and I was still breastfeeding. I found out sometime after the funeral. My due date is at the end of May or early June," she said.
The unborn will be the couple's third child together and Peters' fourth, as he had another child from a previous relationship.
The unborn baby will be her fifth child.
La Vende said from time to time, their three-year-old daughter would randomly say "Daddy, Daddy" or "Where Daddy?"
"I do not know if she is actually asking for him because she would say it and walk off. The older one is aware of his death," La Vende said.
"Initially, she often spoke about him, but I always used to cry. She stopped talking about him with me, but I told her not to. I feel she stopped because of me crying."
January would have marked eight years since they became a couple.
Asked how she is coping financially, considering Peters was the breadwinner, La Vende replied: "I am getting by. I am not complaining."
Earlier on Wednesday, Estate Police Association (EPA) president Deryck Richardson revealed the pregnancy at a seminar, adding that the widow had given him permission to say it publicly.
"Jeffrey Peters' wife is pregnant with a child he did not know he had fathered. At the time of his death, she was pregnant. Let that sink in," Richardson said.
Richardson said the association was still "lending support" to Peters' widow, and she and her attorney had recently visited the EPA's office "to get some things done." He did not refer to her by name.
[caption id="attachment_1007106" align="alignnone" width="960"] MURDERED: Security guard Jeffrey Peters. -[/caption]
Peters and his co-worker Jerry Stuart, both of Allied Security Ltd, were ambushed and killed while transporting money in La Romaine on September 19.
Another colleague, Peola Baptiste, was shot and wounded. Richardson referred to the lone female survivor as a "strong woman" who remains scarred by the traumatic experience.
EPA head: Security industry facing challenges
The EPA partnered with the Ministry of Labour to host the seminar for branch officers of various security companies. The seminar was held at the Creative Arts Centre at Circular Road in San Fernando.
Richardson said, "It makes no sense for any organisation to have people and not train and provide them with the relevant information to do their job."
He said the industry has been fac
