Dominoes After Hours Results in Fatal Stabbing of Belize City Mechanic

Edward Westby

It was a bloody, bloody weekend with a slew of reports of violence across the country, but mostly in Belize City. One of the first incidents occurred when a game of dominoes taking place well past midnight on Friday ended in a fatal stabbing.  Police are charging the victim’s friend with his murder.  Shane Bradley remains in police custody following an altercation an apartment building on Campus Avenue during which he inflicted multiple stab wounds on Edward Westby.  The nightly curfew prohibits all social gatherings beyond nine p.m.; however, on Saturday morning, sometime before three a.m., both men were well into their game when they got into an altercation.  News Five’s Isani Cayetano reports.

Isani Cayetano, Reporting

Twenty-four-year-old Edward Westby met a violent demise at this apartment complex in West Landivar.  It’s where the young auto mechanic lived with his common-law wife, mother-in-law and two kids.  In the early hours of Saturday morning, Westby was fatally stabbed by someone he was socializing with outside of his flat.

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

“Police responded to a stabbing incident at Campus Avenue Apartments.  Upon arriving, they learned that Edward Westby received stab wounds.  He was taken to the K.H.M.H. where he died thereafter.  Investigation revealed that he was there along with other persons socializing and playing dominoes when a male person, namely Shane Bradley began to behave disorderly.”

Zenaida Lanza

Bradley, a boat captain, had to be escorted from the location.  He returned to Westby’s place twice that morning and on the second occasion, things turned deadly.  According to Zenaida Lanza, her son-in-law was stabbed during the altercation.  Prior to the incident, the pair was outside playing dominoes.  She describes Westby as the breadwinner for the family.

Zenaida Lanza, Mother-in-law of Deceased

“In the years I know him, he has always cared for people that he doesn’t even know.  I’m just his mother-in-law but he’s the one who takes care of me, my baby.  He got wahn little brother who he look after, his own son and my daughter, his wife.  I got so much memories of him.”

Hilberto Romero

Lanza was inside the apartment when Westby was injured.  When she peered outside sometime before three a.m., she observed that he was bleeding profusely.  In the dead of night, she walked over to the nearest police station to inform the officers on duty about what had taken place at the residence.

Sr. Supt. Hilberto Romero

“The information we have is that they were socializing and we are looking at the circumstances of that gathering and whether the amount of persons corresponded to the S.I.”

The tragic incident happened during curfew hours, his guest should have been at home by nine o’clock on Friday night.

Sr. Supt. Hilberto Romero

“That is not allowed and like I said, the information is that they were socializing in that area and that is what led to the stabbing.  He has since been detained and he has been charged for the crime of murder.”

Reporting for News Five, I am Isani Cayetano.