Min. of Human Development Offers Support to Murder Victim’s Family
The chilling murder of a young mother in Orange Walk has shaken that northern district. The callousness with which she was killed and her little boy brutally attacked on his birthday is, to many, a tragedy out of a movie. But it’s a reality for a family that is preparing to bury their loved one while providing comfort and support to the other victim, a four-year-old child, who undoubtedly has been traumatized by this cold-blooded murder. While the police have not released any details about the status of the investigation since Tuesday, News Five understands that the BSAG was also tasked with investigating this murder. Today, we caught up with Judith Alpuche, of the Ministry of Human Development, who shared that the ministry is offering its fullest support to the family and the priority is for the child to heal from this tragedy.
Andrea Polanco, Reporting
The brutal killing of twenty-four-year-old Yanira Novelo and the attack on her four-year-son have left the village of San Jose, and by extension, the wider public angry and horrified. There has been widespread condemnation of the tragic incident where Novelo was stabbed five times in the chest and her son was stabbed once to the abdomen on Monday. Today, C.E.O. Judith Alpuche of Ministry of Human Development says that they are offering support to the family during this tragedy.
Judith Alpuche
Judith Alpuche, C.E.O., Ministry of Human Development
“That’s really a horrendous and heart breaking case on so many levels; frightening on so many levels. We were just talking about childhood trauma and how that impacts children. So, from what we see on the news is a very supportive family and so in that case our role is to support the family and support this child in whatever way is needed.”
While details surrounding the incident are still unclear – what we do know is that Novelo and her son were in Orange Walk Town on Monday where she collected between four to five hundred dollars from a western union agent. 
That money was to be used for a party for the little boy who had just turned four years old that same day. Yanira reportedly collected that money – but the last time she messaged one of her best friends was that Monday afternoon. Her family became alarmed when the little boy was found wandering along the San Lorenzo Road. The young boy had a stab wound to his abdomen and was hospitalized – expected to be released today. It is not yet known if the little boy got away from his killers or if they had a last minute change of heart and spared his life after they stabbed him. Grandfather Gregorio shared what he knew of the child’s condition on Tuesday.
Gregorio Novelo
Gregorio Novelo, Father of Deceased [File: July 9th, 2018]
“They find first the baby who was also injured. My wife said he was picked up in San Lorenzo. He was walking on the side of the road crying when someone picked him up and brought him to the police station first and then the police brought him to the hospital. He has injuries which I haven’t seen as yet because I am very busy doing other things. He is doing fine. I would like to say that he is doing good.”
While Gregorio Novelo is hopeful that his grandson will recover from the physical wounds, C.E.O. Alpuche says it will take a lot of healing and care for the young boy to have some semblance of psychological recovery from this traumatic series of events that took his mother’s life on his birthday.
Judith Alpuche
“Counseling if that is needed. I know that first there needs to be an assessment looking to see how the child heals physically from it. So, from that perspective whatever support the family needs. But for right now, what that child needs is to be supported by people who love him. So, our role then is to support those people who love him to ensure that he can heal both physically and psychologically.”
Reporting for News Five, I’m Andrea Polanco.
