POLICE now have three suspects in custody and are searching for others in connection with the chopping death of a 17-year-old Valencia teenager and the wounding of her 23-year-old boyfriend.

Shelly-Ann Amanda Pamponette died at the Sangre Grande District Hospital from multiple chop wounds about the body shortly after 2 a.m. on Friday.

Pamponette, of Peter Avenue, Valencia, was attacked by a group of men while at the home of her boyfriend, Joel John, 23, of John Lane, off Benny Trace, in the same area.

John, police said, remains in stable condition at the Sangre Grande District Hospital.

A post-mortem conducted on Pamponette's body yesterday at the Forensic Science Centre, St James, revealed she died from multiple chop injuries about the body.

The third suspect, police said, was held while walking along the road at Santa Rosa Heights, Arima, around 12.45 p.m., yesterday by Cpl Junior Bernard and PC Joshua Roberts of the Valencia CID.

The 30-year-old man, who police said has addresses at La Horquetta and Valencia, was later taken to the Malabar Police Post where he remains in police custody.

Up to late yesterday, two other suspects, ages 25 and 28, from the Valencia area, remained in custody at the Arouca and Valencia Police Stations.

Police said they are searching for a fourth suspect in connection with the incident.

Pamponette's mother, Sharmila Mohammed, said on Friday her family had been repeatedly threatened by several people in the area.

Mohammed, the mother of four boys and two girls, said despite threats and verbal abuse her family had been subjected to by a few so-called bad boys in the area, she remained firm in her position that she wasn't going to allow anyone to bully her.

She believe the incident may have stemmed from an earlier altercation in which a woman from the area showed up in front of their home and began to verbally abuse and threaten the Pamponettes' life.

ASP Kenrick Edwards including Insp Seemungal Rampersad and other homicide detectives were expected to interview the suspects yesterday.