Chef and Avid Cyclist Ruben Cano Murdered
A Belize City man, Chef Ruben Cano, was murdered over the weekend on Antelope Extension. The assailants targeted Cano and unleashed a number of bullets that caught him to the body on Saturday. He was rushed to the KHMH, but pronounced dead. Cano leaves behind his two children, their mother who is Cano’s ex-wife, and his girlfriend, all distraught and left with more questions than answers. News Five’s Paul Lopez reports.
Paul Lopez, Reporting
The motive behind the murder of thirty four year old cyclist and Chef Reuben Cano remains a mystery. His colleague in the kitchen, Chef Ainsley Castro spoke to News Five.
Ainsley Castro
Ainsley Castro, Chef
“The way how he loses his life too, that makes no sense. Just like, by the way of gun violence. And, ih go fih show yon uh safe again. And, I know lotta people know Cano, lotta lotta people and he nuh look like nobody weh into gang and thing. And yo can’t say mistaken identity, because dah guy, everybody knows him.”
Equally devastated is Cano’s cycling partner and close friend, Byron Pope.
Byron Pope, Cyclist
“This hurt me mein, because my dad passed away the same way and when I read this text ih just bring back the memory and the pain that I went through at that same time. It could have been anyone. It could have been me or anybody close to me as well. But, Cano, he nuh badda nobody. I never hear Cano get in no fight with anyone, from I know Cano from high school.”
Cano and girlfriend were at a residence off Antelope Street Extension when he was called out to the street by a man known to him. Moments later, as the couple was talking with their visitor two armed men approached and began firing in their direction. Cano pushed his girlfriend out of the way, just before his assailants killed him and left his body for dead in a drain. His ex-wife described him as jovial and resilient, with a passion for life. Chef Ainsley reflected on that passion.
Ainsley Castro
“Ih hit me hard, cause actually nineteenth day he was here, cause I mih have a lee competition, and he was here. He passed through. Actually, I have a jacket he left for me. He was here with me nineteenth of November. That was the last time I saw him. I worked close to him and I know he was very talented and a champion also because he participate in a couple events, like Taste of Belize, and also he participate in Benny’s Father’s Day competition, which he won and a couple of them he came in second. So he is a champion.”
He was a champion from a young age, as the assortment of trophies and medals from soccer and cycling that decorate his living room prove. Cano even spent some time in Taiwan to train as a chef.
Byron Pope
“I could remember clearly Cano stepped aside, put cycling aside, the man say he wah ease off a riding. I seh, “Weh gawn on Russian?” He seh,” I gwen hard fih this chef thing. I gwen hard.” I remember Cano gawn overseas fih this cooking thing, to be a real certified top Chef. And, dah man mih always willing and wah be a Chef until he end up turn a top Chef in Belize.”
Cano rode for the Benny’s Megabyte Team. In a Facebook tribute, Cano’s team described him as “selfless”, someone who would, “support his teammates without reservations”.
Ainsley Castro
“Me and he I call the strike team, cause when he come up with something I try challenge ah, and he challenge me. He got a lot of sauce, we learn from each other. That’s why I tell people, this really rough cause Rueben loved what he do.”
Byron Pope
“Dah man, he was a nice team mate to me. He was a loyal teammate to me. I never had nobody other than Rueben to deal with my servicing for me, in terms of he being a real domestic. He use to ride other guys, and Rueben would never go all out for them like he would go all out for me.”
Cano was such a great chef he won the Benny’s cooking competition so often he was barred from participating and made a judge of the competition instead. Reporting for News Five, I am Paul Lopez.
