“Ride by” shooters kill former police constable

Not far away, a former police constable was killed on Friday night on Central American Boulevard. Thirty year old Clarence Leslie was a former cop and well liked in his neighborhood. According to relatives, Leslie left his home on to buy chicken from Li Chee Restaurant. But he didn’t get far and was gunned down near the traffic light close to BD Laundromat where stray bullets penetrated a container in the yard. News Five spoke to Leslie’s sister and pregnant girlfriend.

Shellymae Young, Sister of Murder Victim>
“He had a shot in his face and we get to understand that he was riding on the boulevard going to buy something to eat at Lee Chi and the shot him.”

Jose Sanchez
“Did he have any enemies?”

Shellymae Young
“Not that we know of. He was in the police force and then he came out because he was sick and that was it.”

Jose Sanchez
“Do you think it could have been maybe someone he arrested or could be some revenge for what he was doing while he was an officer?”

Shellymae Young
“This is not something to do with when he was in police because if you guys knew my brother, he and the criminals they were friends. Anybody that knew him, he was a policeman but he didn’t even arrest nobody. Most of the time he spend playing cards with his family that’s about it.”

Jose Sanchez
“I see you’re also pregnant, it’s his child. How do you intend to raise him or to bring back his memory?”

Voice of: Girlfriend of Murder Victim
“Well, I noh really think bout dat yet cause I noh want cause wah lot ah stress pan myself.”

Jose Sanchez
“How far along are you?”

Voice of: Girlfriend of Murder Victim
“Basically two more months and two weeks. Pan my behalf he no have no enemies and I noh know why dehn would ah want kill ah like dat. I neva believe dat one day mi wah come dat dehn shot—“Melo” dead by wah bullet. Ih travel wid seizure and I mi always seh dat maybe one day seizure mi wah kill ah. I neva expect it fi be wah bullett”

Jose Sanchez
“Between Friday to Monday morning, three murders. Any connections established with any of them?”

Clement Palacio, Police Press Officer
“They are all ongoing investigations. Again, what the police have been doing is they are covering all possible—you know in the public domain there have been a lot of talk about what may be the motive. There are certain angles that the police are looking at and of course, in the coming few days we are going to shed more light as to the motive of these murders.”

Jose Sanchez
“In respect to retaliation, is the police stepping up its patrols in these areas?”

Clement Palacio
“We are stepping up patrols because of course, crimes like these usually cause panic among the residents of Belize City and countrywide in fact. The Police Department will be on an intensive campaign to address some of these matters.”