Young Woman Killed in Saturday Night Attack on Vehicle in Cayo District

Karina Andrews

The nation’s latest murder has claimed the life of a young mother, left three persons wounded, and police with a puzzle to solve. Police say the incident happened sometime after eleven on Saturday night in Belmopan and left twenty-three year-old Joshua Jones, of Belize City, twenty-eight year-old Devon Vasquez also of Belize City, and twenty-six year-old Emerson Rhaburn wounded. But, as News Five Marion Ali found out, others were also wounded. Here’s her report.

Chester Williams

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
“Our investigation so far reveals that the victims had just left a popular spot in Belmopan and were making their way to the Roaring Creek area when they were approached by a van and the occupants…resulting in the injuries. We do believe that the motive is gang-related. You would know that we have – over the past year – a number of incidents in Roaring Creek involving the different groups.”

Commissioner of Police, Chester Williams says that the deceased, twenty-one year-old Karina Andrews was not known to be a member of a gang nor was she a violent person, but that perhaps it was her affiliation that placed her in harm’s way. But News Five met with one of the shooting victims, who though understandably shaken by the incident and who declined an on-camera interview, differed with the police information.

Marion Ali

Marion Ali (stand-up)

According to the survivor we spoke with, three of them – all females – were here at this night spot the night the incident happened. They all needed a lift home in Belmopan, not Roaring Creek and they asked the driver of the vehicle to take them home. He did and it was while they were on their way home that they came under attack.
The shooting victim told us that it was not her deceased friend, Karina, who asked for the lift and that the three of them, including Karina, were merely innocent passengers getting a ride home when they came under attack. Williams says investigators have made significant strides in solving the case.

Chester Williams

“Police have since located that SUV. It is in our custody and we also have two persons of interest detained as the investigators continue to do their work to wrap up that investigation. A number of surveillance footages have been viewed and we were able to gather useful information and so we should be able to make arrests in this matter very shortly.”

The Commissioner says that police will once more try mediation to quell what they believe is a resurgence of gang activity in that part of Cayo.

Marion Ali reporting for News Five.