Prep Cook Killed in Placencia on Christmas Morning

Carlos Jackson

A twenty-year-old man was slashed to the throat over the holiday weekend in Placencia as he partied with friends outside a night-club. The prep-cook was out enjoying the festivities after work when he was attacked and killed. His family believes that he may have been killed due to jealousy because of a work promotion. But it is just an allegation, as police didn’t say why the young man was killed. News Five’s Andrea Polanco reports:

Andrea Polanco, Reporting

Carlos Jackson was here socializing with friends and co-workers at this nightclub on Christmas nightHe took a picture with his co-workers hours before that day. Later that night he called his family to wish them merry Christmas. But a few hours later – around three-thirty on Boxing Day morning– he was cut to the neck and killed as he was leaving the night club.

Rosemarie Jackson

Via Phone: Rosemarie Jackson, Sister of Deceased

“He was heading home from the nightclub because he just got off work, he went to take two beers at the nightclub, and he was with different people that he knew. He even called us at around mid-night when it was Christmas morning and he called all the family and wished them merry Christmas and it was around three-thirty coming on four o’clock that my husband got a call that my brother was murdered.”

Jackson’s sister says her twenty-year-old brother was killed due to jealousy. She claims the reason he may have been killedis because of a work promotion, allegedly by someone he knew well.

On the Phone:  Rosemarie Jackson

“From what I have been hearing is that he was murdered, I think, due to jealousy. The last thing my brother, the person, someone that he works with is really mad with him or jealous of him for his promotion. I cannot really say if it has anything to do with that person but from my information that we have been gathering is that it sounds like they knew or sounds like one of his co-workers.”

But his co-workers spoke of no such animosity – it appears that they all got along and socialized with each other outside of work – as a matter of fact the night he was killed he was with his co-workers. His murder has left them in shock.

Lidia Pop

Lidia Pop, Assistant Manager, Rumfish

“It happened after socializing with some of the staff, co-workers, after their shift and I think he was like coming out again to enjoy himself and that is when it happened.”

Andrea Polanco

“So, some of them were right there with him when it happened?”

Lidia Pop

“Yes. Maybe couple hours before he was with the staff taking a drink together for the celebration.”

Andrea Polanco

“And you haven’t heard if there was an argument – if there was a problem?”

Lidia Pop

“From the staff, from what they are saying, they were happy, enjoying themselves, drinking. I am not sure what happened but it was time for them to all go home, which they did and I think he was still in the partying mood to come back out and celebrate. It is really hard – the first day it happened, staff was here working and a part of us were here missing him and we tried our best to work as a team and still it is really a big loss for us.”

Voice of: Samuel Galdamez, Head Chef, Rumfish y Vino

“I was in shock when I got the news. It was so early in the morning when the security guard called me and say that Carlos was killed. I said, ‘no, I can’t believe. You are lying.’  I just couldn’t believe. It is something very horrible.”

From all accounts, Jackson was hardworking. He had been working at the Rumfish y Vino in Placencia since this summer as a prep cook. He had dreams of owning his own food business.

Voice of: Samuel Galdamez

“First he started as a dishwasher like for a couple days. Then I saw the potential that he had that he wanted to learn and cook, so I promote him one time to cooking and prepping. He always wanted to learn and always asking questions, writing behind me. I would always be there teaching, teaching and he always learned. I see his talents, his motivation to learn and become someone in the future to have his own business. I saw all the passion he had for cooking.”

Andrea Polanco

“So, he was a good co-worker in the kitchen?”

Voice of: Samuel Galdamez

“Yes. He was a good team player. He was a good worker. Always clean and always doing something.”

Carlos Jackson

On the Phone:  Rosemarie Jackson

“He was a humble person. He worked very hard for what he wanted. He had a lot of ambition. He had a lot of goals and he was making steps towards it actually. One of his greatest ambitions or one of his biggest goals was to become a pro chef. So, my understanding is that he just got promoted at Rumfish or something like that.”

Lidia Pop

“Carlos is a hard working; always on time; very friendly; someone you can talk to especially when you are down. Anything you can ask him to do he would be right there like ‘sure, no problem’; very sweet person.”

Reporting for News Five, I’m Andrea Polanco.