San Pedrano Artist Chopped to Death in Dangriga
Miguel Angel Guerrero
In Dangriga early this morning, an artist from San Pedro was found dead. Miguel Angel Guerrero was chopped to the neck and left to die on the street near the Havana Club in that southern municipality. Guerrero was seen alive on Saturday night, but so far no one has come forward with information on any motive for his murder. From all accounts, the forty-eight-year-old wasn’t a troublemaker and went about earning his living through painting. News Five’s Andrea Polanco went south today and files the following report.
Andrea Polanco, Reporting
Forty-eight-year-old Miguel Angel Guerrero was killed in Dangriga sometime after mid-night on Sunday night. His body was discovered with a large chop wound to the neck sometime after three on this morning outside a gambling shop. The owner of the betting shop says that he was not in her establishment on Sunday night and that they were closed about six hours before he was found dead. The shop is fitted with one surveillance camera outside, but the proprietor wouldn’t say if it was functioning. Not much is known about Guerrero in the town because he’s originally from San Pedro. But residents say they last him alive on Saturday sometime around mid-night. He was dressed in full camouflage, with a knapsack on his back. Guerrero, who is a painter and carver by trade, was on George Price Drive last week painting signs on some small shops.
Eleanor Guerrero
Eleanor Guerrero, Resident
“Last Tuesday the guy was here looking for a little end to do and so I told him to put Eden Rose Club there on the stairs so people can always remember Eden Rose. He was supposed to come back to finish up the rose in red because my father always loved the color red.”
Andrea Polanco
“Did he give you a day when he’d come back?”
Eleanor Guerrero
“He said the following day he was coming back.”
Andrea Polanco
“That would’ve been Wednesday of last week?”
Eleanor Guerrero
“Yeah but he didn’t show up.”
Andrea Polanco
“So, he just showed up and asked for a little job?”
Eleanor Guerrero
“Mhmm…mhmm because as a matter of fact when I got here he had already done the sign there and I fell in love with it and then he went over to Rajah and he did that and then I called him and he came over and I told him to go ahead and put Eden Rose Club on the stairs for me.”
Residents didn’t know Guerrero’s real name; most referred to him as “Ginger.” He would charge between ten and twenty dollars for paint jobs around the town. Most of whom Guerrero worked for say they didn’t know why someone would kill him. He is described as easy going and friendly. Reporting for News Five, I’m Andrea Polanco.
