Security Guard Shoots Dead Would-Be Intruder

A twenty-five-year-old man lost his life on Sunday morning when he was shot and killed by a security guard on a shrimp farm in southern Belize.  The incident happened sometime around two a.m. when Wilfred Malcolm Junior and another unknown individual ventured unto the compound.  The machete-wielding trespassers reportedly advanced toward the armed watchman who raised his shotgun in their direction.  When the men turned around and attempted to flee the scene, sixty-year-old Gerardo Coc fired a single blast, fatally wounding Malcolm.  The laborer of Bella Vista Village was transported to the Independence Polyclinic where he was pronounced dead on arrival.  Malcolm’s body however, was initially unidentified and was listed as John Doe, until Sunday afternoon when Police Constable Roger Jaime visited the Crimes Investigation Branch and confirmed that the deceased was in fact his brother-in-law.  News Five spoke by phone earlier today with Inspector Delfin Zuniga, Officer Commanding Independence Police.

On the Phone: Inspector Delfin Zuniga, O.C., Independence Police

“Acting upon information received from the medical authorities at the Independence Polyclinic, Independence police visited the polyclinic whereupon arrival they saw the motionless body of a male Hispanic person who was later learned to be Wilfred Malcolm Jr., twenty-five-years-old.  He was observed with what appears to be gunshot wounds behind his head and to the upper part of the back.  The wounds appeared to be that of pellets, apparently from a sixteen gauge shotgun.  Initial investigation revealed that sometime around 11:48 p.m. on Saturday July twenty-ninth, the deceased and another male person were trespassing on the property of Aqua Mar Shrimp Farm, located between miles forty and forty-one on the Southern Highway when apparently they came upon the security guard who was working at the farm at the time.  According to the security guard, the two male persons approached him, who at the time had machetes in their hands.  Upon seeing this, he lifted up his license sixteen gauge shotgun and subsequently it appears that the male person turned in an effort to run away and at the same time he fired a single shot in their direction which we believe is the shot that hit the deceased, subsequently causing his death.  At this time we are considering it to be a shooting.  We have recorded several statements and we’ll be forwarding those statements and the report that we have to the D.P.P. to direct us as to which direction to go.”

Isani Cayetano

“Until then, what has become of the security guard?  Is he in police custody?  Does he remain a free man?”

Insp. Delfin Zuniga

“Yeah, at this time the security guard is in custody here at the Independence Police Station.  At this time we are not certain when the charges will be brought as yet.”

Isani Cayetano

“My understanding sir, is that a relative of the deceased, himself a police officer, was the person who came in to identify the body.  Can you speak to us about that?”

Insp. Delfin Zuniga

“Yeah, it was apparently his brother-in-law, based on what the person said to us that it was he who identified him to be his brother-in-law.”

Gerardo Coc remains in police custody pending the outcome of an investigation.