Guinea Grass Resident Shot & Killed in the Belize District
Lisandro Martinez
Tonight, we begin our newscast with the murder of a twenty-five-year-old Guinea Grass resident. Lisandro Martinez was shot and killed on Wednesday night as he headed to Boston Village in the Belize District on a motorcycle driven at the time by Jose Morales. A vehicle drove up beside them on the Old Northern Highway and at around mile five, a gunman from inside the vehicle took aim at Martinez. Up to five shots were fired and Martinez was struck multiple times. Morales escaped unscathed and managed to transport a mortally wounded Martinez to his house in Boston Village. Despite efforts to rush him to a hospital, the twenty-five-year-old succumbed en route and was pronounced dead on arrival at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital. News Five’s Duane Moody reports.
Duane Moody, Reporting
A little over a week ago, on July twelfth, Guinea Grass resident Lisandro Martinez celebrated his twenty-fifth birthday. But he was without a job and so on Wednesday; he relocated to Boston Village on the Old Northern Highway and began harvesting hardwoods from the Salt Creek area of Sand Hill Village with his uncle, Eddie Linares.
Voice of: Eddie Linares
Voice of: Eddie Linares, Uncle of Deceased
“He come work for me and do logging. He come to load the logs on the truck. He come to help. He load the logs, the truck gone the evening and he came to the house and everything alright. I was there laying on the hammock and sleep and he come out to the shop.”
It was his first full day of work and around six o’clock, Martinez hopped onto a motorcycle driven by eighteen-year-old Jose Morales to go to a supermarket at mile nineteen, near the junction of the Philip Goldson Highway and the Maskall Road, to purchase some groceries. While returning to Boston Village, Morales realized that they were being followed by a black car.
Voice of: Jose Morales
Voice of: Jose Morales, Driver of Motorcycle
“Around 6:30, we were heading to the shop. We spend like a few minutes buying groceries and stuff like that. We were heading back home on a slow speed and I was talking to him, personal stuff. And then I saw a car exiting the curve, but I didn’t think nothing bad was gonna happen. So then I said this car is just gonna overtake us. But then I saw the car a second time, but closer and I didn’t think nothing out of the box. And then the third time when I saw the car again, it was already close and then it started to shot fires at the guy.”
Despite being traumatized, Morales managed to ride with Martinez to his house in Boston where the twenty-five-year-old was assisted into a vehicle and rushed to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital. Unfortunately, Martinez perished en route.
Voice of: Jose Morales
“I just try to flee from the scene cause I was trying to save the guy’s life.”
Duane Moody
“Did you realize that he had been shot?”
Voice of: Jose Morales
“Yes, I realized that when he yelled and then I saw blood. I just turn to see what’s going on and then I saw blood and then I just said mien. A lot of stuff came to my mind and I just try to reach home. After I reach home, I told him to drop off the cycle because I need to get help and then he fell to the ground in pain. And then I got help and put him in the car and took him to the hospital, but then he passed away.”
Duane Moody
“Before you guys reached the hospital?”
Voice of: Jose Morales
“Yeah he was already cold. I’m kinda traumatized because this is the first time wah murder has happened near me. I barely go out to catch these kinds of things.”
It would appear that the target of the shooting was solely Martinez. His uncle remains perplexed as to why anyone would want him dead.
Voice of: Eddie Linares
“I feel bad. I neva see. He bring him to the house and I ker the man to the hospital, but we can’t help him, he mi can’t survive.”
Duane Moody
“Did at any point your nephew complained to you that somebody mi di threaten ih life?”
Voice of: Eddie Linares
“No. He just come yesterday. He noh have enemy.”
Voice of: Jose Morales
“I asked him when he was passing away, I asked him if he had any problems with anybody here, around this area. He denied three times, no.”
Duane Moody
“Based on the narrative, you weren’t the intended target because after the guy was shot, they didn’t pursue you any at all. It was not that they wanted to rob you of your motorcycle or anything like that.”
Voice of: Jose Morales
“No. I think it was like a personal problem with him.”
Credible sources tell News Five that Martinez’s death may have been the result of a previous incident in which the deceased had attacked a relative. Police are looking at all leads and reviewing surveillance footage from the area. Duane Moody for News Five.
