By SANCHESKA BROWN

Tribune Staff Reporter

sbrown@tribunemedia.net

A 32-year-old father of two died in hospital yesterday hours after he was beaten in the head with a pipe during an argument early yesterday morning, relatives told The Tribune.

The incident happened shortly before noon in Elizabeth Estates.

When contacted about the matter, officer-in-charge of the Central Detective Unit Chief Superintendent Paul Rolle said he was aware that a man had been attacked while in that area yesterday, but said he was not aware of the victim’s death up to press time.

However, he did say that police were told the victim got into a fight with a suspect, while visiting the

suspect’s sister.

“What we do know is that the victim did some work for a lady and went to her house to drop off something. He got into an altercation with the woman’s brother that resulted in him being hit in the head with a blunt object. He was taken to hospital in a private vehicle in critical condition,” Chief Supt Rolle said.

Relatives identified the man as Yves Smith and said he died in hospital yesterday afternoon, hours after being admitted for treatment for his injuries.

The latest death pushed the country’s murder count to 136 for the year, according to The Tribune’s records.

His sister, Yontalay Hanna, remembered her brother as a fun person, who loved “Junkanoo and his kids”.

“He was a person that always wanted to have fun and to make people happy. He was loving and willing to give anything to anyone who needed it,” Ms Hanna said.

“He loved pasting costumes and people would come to him to paste their costumes, in fact that is what he was doing when he was attacked, he was dropping off a costume. He loved his children, he has a boy and a girl and he loved them and loved spending time with them. This is a big loss.”

Mr Smith’s mother, Kim Hanna, was too distraught to offer much comment but said “she will miss her oldest boy”.

Meanwhile, Chief Supt Rolle said police have no one in custody for the attack, but are actively searching for the suspect.

Police are also investigating another incident, where a man was beaten in the head with a hammer.

That incident took place shortly after 5pm.

According to Chief Supt Rolle, the victim was doing a job for a woman in Venice Bay, when he got into an argument with the woman’s husband that resulted in him being hit multiple times with a hammer.

He was taken to hospital where he is listed in serious, but stable condition.

On Monday, police in Grand Bahama said they were investigating the death of a man who was found with gunshot wounds outside an apartment complex in Freeport.

Anyone with information is asked to contact police at 911 or 919, the Central Detective Unit at 502-9991 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 328-TIPS.