Two Bahamian politicians and a paramedic are in custody in the Bahamas in connection with an alleged plot to extort money from movie stars John Travolta and wife Kelly Preston after the sudden death of their 16-year-old son there earlier this month.
Bahamian police arrested paramedic Tarino Lightbourne, 47, Friday afternoon after issuing a bulletin saying he was wanted ''for attempted extortion'' and adding that he was "considered dangerous and should be approached with caution.''
Lightbourne was on the scene when Jett Travolta died earlier this month after suffering a seizure during a family vacation at their private residence at Old Bahama Bay on Grand Bahama Island.
He was quoted in a British tabloid as being able to ''see the sorrow'' in Travolta's eyes as he held his son's lifeless body. ''I could see the love in his eyes for his son,'' Lightbourne added.
Lightbourne's arrest was the second in the unfolding drama. On Thursday, police in Grand Bahama arrested Pleasant Bridgewater, an opposition senator in parliament.
The Nassau Tribune newspaper quoted Senior Assistant Commissioner of Police Marvin Dames this week as saying that police arrested Bridgewater, an attorney, at an office at about 4:30 p.m. Thursday in Freeport.
Neither Bahamas Acting Commissioner of Police Reginald Ferguson nor Travolta publicist Paul Bloch would comment on the nature of the investigation or confirm reports that Lightbourne tried to sell photos of a dying Jett as he was in an ambulance rushing to a hospital through the streets of Grand Bahama.
''I am not going into any details; we are in the middle of an investigation,'' Ferguson told The Miami Herald, noting that the alleged plot was revealed to the police by the Travoltas.
The Tribune this week was the first to report the investigation into the alleged extortion plot, but gave no details of the nature of the extortion.
Read the full story at MiamiHerald.com