Couple Injured in Overnight Shooting on Ambergris

Alejandro Cowo

Over in San Pedro Town, a couple was targeted by a gunman in the San Juan area. Gilberto Lara and Catherine Torres were on their way home, traveling on a golf cart sometime after three o’clock on Saturday morning when someone opened fire on the unsuspecting couple. The bullets grazed Torres, while Lara was hit to the chest. Despite being injured, Lara drove to the police station on the island for assistance. They were both rushed to the San Pedro Polyclinic and then Lara was airlifted to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital for treatment; he has since been treated and released. Police say that a motive for the shooting has not been ascertained.

ASP Alejandro Cowo, O.C., C.I.B., Belize City

“Mister Lara was observed to have an apparent gunshot wound to the left side of his chest and Miss Torres had a graze to her shoulder. They were transported to the San Pedro Polyclinic where Mister Lara was transported to Belize City via airplane and he was admitted to ward in a stable condition. Miss Torres was treated and she was discharged on the same night. Mister Lara was discharged yesterday from the hospital. What so far that police have is that Mister Lara and Miss Torres were going to their house in the San Juan area and just before reaching their house they heard gunshots in the area and they realized that they were injured. Mister Lara as we are concerned don’t have any criminal history or any involvement in anything in San Pedro. We know that he was socializing at an establishment and he had left from there and he was going along with this female to their residence.”