Murder on Reggae Street – Mechanic Slain While Repairing Vehicle
Wayne Rocke
The murder count went up by three in the past twenty four hours. In San Pedro a taxi man was killed in his van, while in the city another cabbie succumbed at the K.H.M.H.; he is a casualty of a shooting on Sunday. And on Monday night before eight o’clock twenty nine year old Wayne Rocke was gunned down by a lone gunman on Reggae Street while repairing a vehicle. His family believes that while he has had plenty trouble with the law, he was mending his ways. Police are appealing for public assistance to solve this latest homicide. News Five’s Isani Cayetano reports.
Isani Cayetano, Reporting
At news time on Monday evening, a volley of shots rang out on Reggae Street. By the time residents would respond to the mayhem, twenty-nine-year-old Wayne Rocke lay mortally wounded, hemorrhaging from multiple injuries received during the incident. His elderly aunt who lives a short distance away heard the successive report of gunfire and thought nothing of it initially since Rocke, in her mind, had already left for home sometime earlier.
Hortence Sutherland
Hortence Sutherland, Aunt of Deceased
“I mih eena my room, eena my barrel di tek out some clothes fi put pan mi bed and I hyah gunshot so I stop and a seh “My, gunshot again!” Ah seh, “Ah wonda da who get shot?” So I come outside and me and my two grandson lean ova di railing. So I seh, I noh think da Wayne, ah seh because Wayne mussi done gaan home. So my son-in-law mi gwein back deh but he come back fi ih lighter. So when he come back he seh, “Bam yo noh gwein back deh?” I seh maybe ih could be Wayne. Ah sehe, “No. Wayne done gaan home I think.”
That assumption would prove to be furthest from the truth of what happened just a block away. According to Belize City police, Rocke was seated in the rear passenger side of a van when he was blindsided by a lone assailant.
Hilberto Romero
Supt. Hilberto Romero, O.C., C.I.B., Eastern Division
“Upon arrival they found the lifeless body of Wayne Rocke. He was found with multiple gunshot wounds to the head. Information revealed that he was repairing a vehicle, he had a light bulb on and it was at night when someone came and fired shots at him.”
Prior to learning that the attack moments earlier had indeed claimed the life of her nephew, Hortence Sutherland proceeded to the crime scene with other members of the family. What she discovered confirmed her worst fear.
Hortence Sutherland
“Somebody come up and seh dah Wayne. Ah seh, “Oh my God! And I hurry and I staat to cry and I hurry gaan by di police because I mi think yo could pass. But I gaan by di police dehn but dehn tell me that I cyant go deh. So I stand up me and my grandson and di police seh ih wahn tell me when I could go een go sih ahn fi identifying ahn. So dah so I gaan, right afta ih come and tell me I gaan een my and my comadre and I gaan identify ahn.”
At the moment, notwithstanding an ongoing investigation, C.I.B. personnel are no closer in determining what led to the deadly shooting. They are resorting to you for assistance in solving the case.
Supt. Hilberto Romero
“Well we have no motive at this time. We are asking the public’s assistance to call in with information. We have the 922-TIPS. Presently we don’t have anybody in custody for this murder.”
Wayne Rocke, his aunt would attest, is no stranger to criminal activity. His checkered past equally involved a series of arrests and run-ins with the law.
Hortence Sutherland
“Ih have wahn past. I wouldn’t seh that ih da wahn good person, ih have wahn past long time ago with di laws and maybe with di gangs dehn back deh but ih mi di try change ih life. Ih tell me, “Aunty ah di change.” Anytime ih come out ya ih tell me, ih seh, “Aunty ah di change.” Ah seh, “Wayne, try no fass wid nobody, you come back ya, yo go do yo work and when yo done do yo work yo go straight back home.”
Reporting for News Five, I am Isani Cayetano.
