Luis Beaton is Murdered in Saint Martin’s Area of Belize City

Luis Beaton

Two murders were recorded over the weekend. The body of missing witness, Iran “Basco” Jones was reportedly discovered in a shallow grave in Biscayne Village on Saturday. We’ll have that story for you next. But we begin our newscast with the murder of Luis Beaton, a cook at Chon Saan Palace, who was gunned down in an alley in the Saint Martin’s area on Saturday night, as he was heading home. It is believed that the twenty-three-year-old was targeted because he is originally from the Jane Usher Boulevard area and was living in another gang territory. News Five’s Duane Moody reports.

Duane Moody, Reporting

Luis Beaton was a twin and grew up on Jane Usher Boulevard at his family home. Recently he had been living through an alley off Flamboyant Street in the Saint Martin’s de Porres area of Belize City. On Saturday night, as he headed home from work, a gunman approached and fired multiple shots at him. The bloodstain through the alley is where he collapsed and died.

Hilberto Romero

ACP Hilberto Romero, Regional Commander, Eastern Division

“Around 11:20 p.m., police responded to a shooting incident on Flamboyant Street in Belize City. Upon arrival, they saw the lifeless body of a male person identified as Luis Beaton with gunshot injuries. He was taken to the K.H.M.H. where he was pronounced dead on arrival. Information revealed that Beaton was coming home from work when he was attacked by a male person with a firearm causing his fatal injuries.”

They say that twins share a most unbreakable bond and Cardinal Beaton tells News Five that he woke up on Sunday knowing that something was wrong.

Cardinal Beaton

Cardinal Beaton, Brother of Deceased

“When I get up, like my mind was frazzled, disorientated. But I got back my sense when I realised that I missed my work. And like I tell you, my woman overheard the saying and then my reaction happen. But in a sense, a way, I felt it then cause as she told me that, my senses tell me no, ih gone. I neva believe it at first when my girlfriend told me cause I gone back deh dah my uncle and my uncle mi tell me ih dead, but he mi turn towards ih bredda, so I mi think dah wah joke. But then ih bredda tell me yo bredda dead, I was like noh man, no my bredda. Right away I tell my girlfriend hand me my phone make I call ih girlfriend and check it out, but no answering. Now when I gone dah my lee bwai.”

Luis had just gotten a job with Chon Saan Palace on Kelly Street. His employer Lee Mark Chang took to social media moments after the killing, sharing that he was diligent and did more than was asked of him. Only three days working with him and Chang says that a short and energetic Luis Miguel left an impression on him.

Cardinal Beaton

“What is the motive why cause at the end of the day, I know ih mi just previously get ih job cause some weeks back ih mi call me pan video call, me and he mi di chat. He mi di eat up and man tell me ih mi good. After that we end off the call. And then from then this dah the shocking news. Dah wah joyful person; ih always put wah smile pan people face cause ih got tie-tongue so ih make it funny when ih talk and that make everybody like ahn around.”

Friends and family say that they are perplexed about why he was killed. Police say they are investigating as a motive has not been established as yet. But was he killed because of where he’s from?

Luis Beaton

Cardinal Beaton

“At the end of the day, I don’t know what really is the motive behind it. All I know that the man does like heng round and the neighbourhood, Jane Usher again and then ih gone back there sake ah ih girlfriend and dehn thing, but he mi want spread ih wings. That dah weh I believe because as a man, yo have to spread yo wings and thing. I think he gone back there fi try make ih life better off. The man have ih junior and so the man mi want do wah better life fi ahn. So apparently it look like I inspire di man cause I hold my job and he say, if mi bredda could do it, he could do it too and the man gone get ih job. I’m proud of the man, but honest to truth its ina Jah Jah hands. All I am saying is the world is a cycle. At the end of the day, I noh di try curse nobody son or anybody. The person know who did it and God noh di sleep. Even if dehn got anything with the man, they shouldn’t kill the man how dehn kill ahn.”

Duane Moody for News Five.