Is Gang War in Martin’s Motive for Murder of Ronald Michael?

Ronald Michael

Is ongoing gang war in the Saint Martin’s area of Belize City the motive behind the January twenty-seventh murder of Ronald Michael? Police say that it is one of the possible reasons, but they have been investigating all angles of this homicide. Around ten o’clock that morning, Michael was cleaning a yard on Ordonez Street when he came under gunfire. Police say that Michael, who is associated with the PIV gang, was in rival Back-a-land territory and that that may have motivated his killing. Since then, there have been increased patrols and police presence in the area to prevent retaliation.

Supt. Alejandro Cowo, O.C., C.I.B., Eastern Division

“That murder investigation again, there are several persons that have been detained from Tuesday and up to now, people are being brought in and questioned. Some of them are still being detained and are being interviewed by different investigators to see what we can obtain from them.  We know that he is from a particular group from that location and where he was on that day of the unfortunate death partially belongs to another group in that area.”

Alejandro Cowo

Duane Moody

“Is the police looking at the possibility of any kind of retaliation and how do you mitigate something like this?”

Supt. Alejandro Cowo

“Well, police have several patrols in that area. Definitely the amount of police have increased in that area and several persons are being detained and they will continue to be detained until weekend so that we can avoid any further retaliation in that area. There are operations that police are conducting at this present moment in that location.”