Out west, family grieves after father and brother is shot multiple times, fatally
The second murder over the weekend took place on Friday night in the West. A father of three lost his life at Champon at the adjacency zone area when he was taken down execution style in front of his wife and brother. The gunman is said to have fled across the border to Melchor de Mencos. The bus driver and two family members were socializing at a bar when his life was cut short. Carlos Manzanero is said to have been well-known in the area because his work takes him across the Belize Border every day. So who would want to kill Manzanero? It seems his family and friends are no closer to the answers. Andrea Polanco headed west today to get the latest on this murder. Here’s that story.
Andrea Polanco, Reporting
As many as eight shots rang out here at Larios Bar on Friday night shortly before nine– and several of those met a target in forty year old Carlos Manzanero. The Succotz Bus driver was here at this bar in the Adjacency Zone – an area most would know as “Champon” – that lies between the Belize and Guatemala borders. Manzanero, his wife and his brother were sitting around a table on this outer part of the bar – he had only just ordered something to drink and his wife, we understand, had just stepped inside the establishment a few minutes before when a car from over Melchor drove up and a man exited with a gun. He fired several bullets of whichseveral caught Manzanero – to the stomach, hand and knee.The man got back into the car and drove back over to Melchor. Manzanero died a short while after at the hospital in San Ignacio.
Voice of: Family Friend
“My brother called me and told me that he received the news that they shoot him. For me it was very difficult because he was a friendly, friendly person and I can’t even believe it that that happened to him. And then I came with my parents and tell them how he got shot and we gone to the hospital and as soon as we reach there one of his friends came to me and told us that he just passed away.”
Andrea Polanco
“And you can’t think of any reason why someone would want to kill him – in that way – he was shot several times, right?”
Voice of: Family Friend
“According to the police, yes.”
Andrea Polanco
“Are you able to talk to us maybe why he was in that area?”
Voice of: Family Friend
“Well, he want something to eat. I think he pass for a lady here in Benque Viejo and I think she was not at the place and he gone across the border – like six, I think, they gone there. He was not even drinking. The only thing they had on the table was Gatorade.”
The father of three travels to the Belize-Guatemala border every day – as a driver of Marlin Espadastour and charter company since August 2016. On Friday, it is said that he came in at the Adjacency Zonemid-afternoon sometime between the hours of three and four and after his shift ended he returned the bus to the office in Benque Viejo. But, later that evening, he, along with his wife and brother, returned across the border. The trio were at the establishment to get some food – it is an area where he is well known. People in the area say they are unsure what exactly triggered the murder – but they say reports are that it is something from Manzanero’s past that ended his life. Those closest to him say they have no idea why he was killed and they describe him as very active in the community and quite friendly in the job.
Andrea Polanco
“This is an area where he passes almost every day because he drives in that areas, right?”
Voice of: Family Friend
“Yes. I think so. And he have friends, lotta friends from over there I think too but I don’t know why the man…umm…”
Andrea Polanco
“People were watching him or they knew where he was?”
Voice of: Family Friend
“Hmm…well I can’t. I don’t know because his wife until now she is in shock. She can’t even remember what happened that day.”
Andrea Polanco
“Did anyone ever threaten him before; anything of this kind of attack ever made on his life before?”
Voice of: Family Friend
“Hmm uhhh…never. Like I told you before, he is a very careful person. He is willing to help. Here in the community he was a very active person. He liked sports and I don’t know why this happened to him.”
Manzanero’s murder comes less than a week after another Belizean was killed – last Sunday, AmadeosTeck of Bullet Tree Village was shot and killed as he socialized in Melchor.
Andrea Polanco reporting for News Five.
