Indian Church Vice Chairman Hacked to Death in Weekend Chopping

Francisco Arevalo

There have been three other murders due to chopping since Ann Swaney was strangled to death. In Indian Church in the Orange Walk District, a Guatemalan national was likely lured to his death in a love triangle. Francisco Arevalo received a phone call from his lover on Saturday night and by Sunday morning his nude body was found outside an unfinished building in proximity to his house. Today, a Salvadoran national who was also in a relationship with Arevalo’s alleged girlfriend is being sought by the police. News Five’s Duane Moody has a report on the murder of the vice-chair of Indian Church Village.

Duane Moody, Reporting

The first murder for the northern district of Orange Walk was recorded on Sunday. Just after seven o’clock that morning, the nude mutilated body of the vice-chairman of Indian Church Village was found in bushes alongside an incomplete concrete bungalow house in the village. Fifty-one year old Francisco Arevalo was butchered with a machete; he had several large chop wounds across the body and head.

Selvyn Tillett

ASP Selvyn Tillett, O.C., Orange Walk Police

“Next to an unfinished cement house, they located, which is located at the entrance of the village, a nude body of a male Hispanic person identified to be Francisco Arevalo, fifty-one year old Guatemalan of Indian Church Village was seen lying face down with a chop wound to the back of his head, neck and the left hand was partly severed.”

Arevalo was killed about three blocks away from his house in the village and about four hundred yards from his sister’s house. The body was discovered by his nephew who was out tending to the family’s cattle.

Ethelbina Arevalo

Ethelbina Arevalo, Sister of Murder Victim [Translated]

“Yesterday around seven in the morning, my son went to attend to some cattle that we had tied and he said it was there. He didn’t want to tell me anything, but I know that my son found him there.”

Arevalo had just recently celebrated his birthday on January second and lived alone in the village. However, the father of one was involved with a woman from the nearby village of San Felipe, who is currently detained by police. That is because quick response by police, led them to her house from where his phone was recovered. It is believed that the Guatemalan national was lured to his death. According to Arevalo’s sister, Ethelbina, a call was used to trap for her brother.

Ethelbina Arevalo [Translated]

“One of my nieces that live next to him said that she heard my brother having a conversation over the phone with someone. She didn’t hear what he was saying because he was talking very quietly. But my son and others were at his house watching the TV as well. He turned to them and said that he needs to turn off the television because he had to go out. That was about seven-thirty on Saturday night.”

ASP Selvyn Tillett

“By a female who lured him into the area where the body was found. The deceased was met by another male person, a Salvadoran national who apparently inflicted chop wounds to the deceased causing his death. Police responded and as a result collected the deceased phone number with a female of San Felipe Village who is presently detained pending charges. Police are looking for another male person in respect to this first murder in Orange Walk.”

The motive appears to be that of a love triangle gone wrong because the main suspect is fifty-nine year old Salvadoran national Juan Carlos Gutierrez, a man with whom the woman has relations.

Juan Carlos Gutierrez

Ethelbina Arevalo [Translated]

“We don’t know much. We are still left in shock as to why this happened to him and who could have done this to him. We just recently heard from persons that they saw the couple together, who now live in San Felipe; the woman who they have detained. And they are saying that they saw them on Saturday night and the Salvadoran man too. They suspected them and so they told the police who went to San Felipe and found the woman with my brother’s phone.”

Police have since issued a “WANTED” bulletin across the country for the arrest of Gutierrez in the event that he tries to leave the country.

ACP Joseph Myvette, Head, National Crimes Investigation Branch

“At this point in time the investigation is pretty much in its early stages so we are following up on all the information we have gotten. I know that five or six statements have so far been recorded and Police are out there as we speak continuing with the investigation.”

ASP Selvyn Tillett

“We are taking no chances. We believe that he might be trying to leave the country so we are making all efforts to try and apprehend him.”

Duane Moody for News Five.