A Farm Worker is Assaulted On Teakettle Ranch by Four Armed Men

Joseph Myvett

There has been another incident at TKO Farms in Teakettle, Cayo.  This time, a farmhand was assaulted on Wednesday morning by a group of four masked men who were armed with handguns.  Manuel Gomez reported to police that he was attacked by the gang while at work on a ranch in Teakettle Village.  He informed the responding officers that the intruders had arrived at TKO Farms sometime around nine a.m., demanding to see the owner of the property.  During the altercation, Gomez said that he was injured with the firearm.  The land, according to ACP Joseph Myvett, is cut across by a road which has since been barricaded for the safety of its owners.

ACP Joseph Myvett, Head, National Crimes Investigation Branch

“Police responded yesterday morning, sometime around nine a.m., to the TKO Farms in Teakettle Village area, where it was reported to them by one Manuel Gomez that whilst he was outside of the gate cleaning the area, he was approached by four armed male persons who demanded that he open the gate.  As a result, he was injured by one of those persons by the use of a firearm during the process.  However, during that process, according to him, a vehicle was coming which caused the assailants to flee the area.  Our investigation has shown though that the farm is a private area, however, a road runs through the farm that connects to another community and that the road was used by several persons.  However, the new owner had some three weeks aback, erected a barrier preventing those from using the road, as it is a private property.  So we conclude from the investigation that that is the gate or the barrier in question that they requested to be removed.  As a result, the owners were spoken to, well the reason they erected the barrier, it is a private property and for their own safety that the barrier was erected there.”

Reporter

“Did the gentleman indicate for what reason these assailants, did the gentleman identify why these assailants were trying to force their way through the gate?”

ACP Joseph Myvett

“No.  The gate in question, where he was, the gate was open where he was cleaning.  So obviously the property was not there target other than to get the gate open that allows access.”

Last Friday, Abner Alas, the manager of the farm, told police that while he was driving towards the farm with payroll, four shots were fired damaging his vehicle. Luckily, Alas was not injured.