Charred Remains are Discovered in a Burnt Flatbed Truck in the South

Charred remains were found this morning inside a delivery truck belonging to the Salvador W. Habet hardware store. The vehicle was set on fire in a remote area in the village of San Juan, Stann Creek District.  A News Five crew was down south where police have been processing the scene.  At news time, the identity of the victims has not been officially confirmed, but it is believed that at least one is an employee of the company. Here is News Five’s Duane Moody.

Duane Moody, Reporting

A delivery truck belonging to Salvador W. Habet Limited, a hardware store in Belize City, was discovered this morning on a feeder road off the Farm Four Road. It is a remote area off the Southern Highway in San Juan Village, Stann Creek District; there are no houses in sight, only vegetation. The Isuzu flatbed truck with license plate # A2105 had been set on fire and what appears to be two persons burnt beyond recognition were found inside the cap of the truck.  Police were called to the scene this morning.

Hilberto Romero

Sr. Supt. Hilberto Romero, Deputy Head, National Crimes Investigation Branch

“Around seven-twenty a.m., police responded to a report about a truck that was seen completely burnt only with the metal frame up in the area of Farm Four near San Juan Village, Stann Creek District. Police found a flatbed truck with the interior completely burnt and charred human remains were found in the vehicle.”

What is known is that the truck departed the hardware store in Old Capital on Monday morning to do deliveries in southern Belize, including the Independence area. It is believed that one of the charred remains is that of thirty-three-year-old Pablo Hemir Sosa. The Sosa/Hernandez family of Stann Creek Valley arrived at the area along with the store owner as police processed the scene of the apparent homicide. Visibly distraught, the family told News Five that the last time they saw Sosa was on the morning of January twentieth when he was heading south. He stopped at their home in Pomona and told them he was on his way to do deliveries. Since Monday night, their calls to his phone have gone unanswered so they realized that something was amiss. While the charred human remains of two persons were discovered inside the vehicle, the family says that on Monday, when he stopped home, he was travelling alone.

Police say that that a post-mortem on the remains will be conducted.

Sr. Supt. Hilberto Romero

“Police are presently at the scene and a post-mortem examination has been scheduled for today to determine what happened and who the charred remains are for.”

Duane Moody

“Sir, it’s only one body that was in the vehicle?”

Sr. Supt. Hilberto Romero

“We don’t know at this time, the post-mortem will determine that. That is the only information that we have at this time and we will be following up on several deals that have developed and that is all that we have at this time.”

While the family strongly believes it is Sosa, official confirmation from authorities is pending. Of note is that the truck discovered is the one that Sosa drives. Duane Moody for News Five.