Family says foul play behind son’s disappearance
Last Wednesday a Belize City family reported to police that their teenage son was missing. But their account was not the usual missing person report in which a troubled child rebels against authority and runs away from home. The police are being cautious but the family suspects foul play.
Jacqueline Woods, reporting
The family of 13-year-old Shannon Welch believes the young boy did not run away and may be in trouble. Lisa Neal, the boy’s mother, says her son was being threatened by a man who believes that Welch and his friends burglarized his house.
Lisa Neal, Mother
“This thing the happen over three weeks now. They have this man who comes around looking for the boys with a machete, edge tools and all kinds of things saying he will kill them cause they went into his house. As I said, my son never had anything to do with that, because he was not here around those times, he was at Caye with his uncles.”
12-year-old Tyrone Castellanos was the last one to see his brother. Castellanos says on that day he was walking with Welch on Raccoon Street, when the man, identified as 39-year-old Jose Rosales, came after them with a machete.
Tyrone Castellanos, Brother
“We were walking on Raccoon Street and we just saw this pickup truck pull up besides us and a man jumped out with a machete so we ran. I ran up Pelican Extension and my brother ran up Raccoon and it’s right then I came home and I no see my brother from then.”
According to one of Welch’s friends, they did not break into anyone’s house. The 13-year-old also claims that Rosales has also threatened him.
Voice of Friend
“I was coming from hangar and then a vehicle just came from nowhere and knocked me down in the drain and a man came out with a machete and started chasing me and his wife told him to catch me and put me in the van and I ran. They never caught me.”
Jacqueline Woods
“You all didn’t go inside this man’s house?”
Voice of Friend
“No because we always go and catch iguanas beside his house.”
Jacqueline Woods
“So why does he think that you all went into his house and took something from him?”
Voice of Friend
I am not sure, because they say how people go into his house and take things off his line and we no time do those things.”
Neal strongly believes that something may have happened to her son. The mother says her son has never stayed away from home this long.
Lisa Neal
“He always, always, he always… I am not saying that my son does not give trouble or that he does not go. He his not the type that runs away for weeks, or months, where you do not see him and have to worry about him. He goes, but he comes back, he always makes sure that he is here every day, every day. That is why I am worrying about him. He is not the type of person who strays for long and don’t come back and not see him for months. The most you won’t see him for is for the whole day.”
Neal says she sent her brother to Rosales’s house on Monday to see if they could get any information about her son. But only the man’s wife was at home. It is not certain what happened but later that night the Rosales’ family moved out of their house. Today, mister Rosales was picked up in Lords Bank. The man told the police that he moved his family out of the house because when the boy’s uncle visited them he threatened them with a gun.
Lisa Neal
“My brother lives with his common law wife and his 3 children. My brother doesn’t have a gun; he is not the violent type. He is working hard for his children and his woman, so that is a lie.”
According to the police, Rosales did admit to them that he chased the boy on the day he went missing, but he does not know where the young boy is.
The police say more than likely Rosales will be released. In the meantime if you know the whereabouts of 12-year-old Shannon Welch you are asked to call the nearest police station.
