Belize City Youth, Fifteen, Butchered on Hunters Lane

Nigel Ferguson

A teenager was executed in an abandoned lot on Hunters Lane over the weekend. The fifteen-year-old ran afoul of the law on a number of occasions and was in fear of his life.  But on Sunday night, fate caught up with Nigel Ferguson, as he was callously murder a distance from where he lived in Belize City.  His mother believes that his murder could have been prevented had he been accepted to participate in a program for at-risk youths in Mountain Pine Ridge.  News Five’s Isani Cayetano has the following story.

Janet Lopez

Janet Lopez, Mother of Deceased

“When I get the call I cry but I still noh believe.  I deh yah but I still noh accept it, even though I sih ahn, I still noh accept it.”

A fifteen-year-old, described by his mother as a child with special needs, was butchered and left at an empty property in Belize City on Sunday evening.

Chester Williams

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police

“Police were called to a house, an abandoned house on Hunters Lane where they discovered the lifeless body of a male minor, identified so far as Nigel Ferguson.  He displayed multiple stab wounds to the body.  He was taken to the hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.”

Nigel Ferguson left his home near Handyside Street sometime around 5:30 p.m.  It wasn’t until four hours later that Janet Lopez would receive an ominous phone call.

Janet Lopez

“I get wahn call like 9:36 [p.m.]  Dehn tell me that dehn just kill my son and ih deh through Hunters Lane and mek I goh get wahn mobile and mek dehn check sih if ih deh through deh.  So that da weh I mi do.”

Isani Cayetano

“What did you observe when you arrived on the scene?”

Janet Lopez

“Di first lot weh we check, we neva find nothing, but di second lot, we mi end up find ahn dead with ih throat cut.”

Ferguson was a long way from home when he met a most cruel and vicious end.  Police are investigating and so far have been able to learn that a previous altercation involving the teenager may have precipitated the deadly outcome.

Chester Williams

“At this time, we are still trying to figure out what happened.  We know that there may have been a fight earlier in the area, between him and some other persons who are yet to be identified and we are hoping that we will be able to get more information ascertain what actually transpired in this particular instance.”

Janet Lopez does not swear by her son and readily admits that he has had violent encounters with rivals in other neighborhoods.  At fifteen years old, Nigel Ferguson was involved in gang activity.  This is by his mother’s admission.

Janet Lopez

“My son da noh no saint, so I wah put it out deh, my son da noh no saint.  Ih do ih wrong, ah noh know weh ih do, ah might hear back bout it, follow up pan certain things, whatever.  But way how my son dead, dehn really chance my son.  Di state ah weh I sih ahn, ih noh right because he da one ahn dehn special needs child and I try work with he eena all kinda way, all kind I could.”

Despite Lopez’s acknowledgement, Commissioner of Police Chester Williams believes otherwise.  He says that there’s nothing to suggest that Ferguson’s murder was the result of gang rivalry.

Isani Cayetano

“Is there an element of gang involvement at play?”

Chester Williams

“At this time, no.  We cannot state that there is an element of gang involvement.”

Nigel Ferguson

Janet Lopez says that she had made a previous attempt at enrolling her troubled son in the Mountain Pine Ridge Youth Challenge, an initiative spearheaded by the Department of Youth Services to assist at-risk youths.  Sadly, those efforts never materialized.

Janet Lopez

“I even ask di system fi mih help me put ahn eena di Pine Ridge program.  I still neva get through with that.  I explain to dehn people that wahn kill ahn di gang affiliation thing weh ih mi dehn eena.  My son dead.”

Isani Cayetano

“What was the reason that they gave you why they wouldn’t have accepted him in the program?”

Janet Lopez

“Dehn seh dehn mi di follow up pan sohn information and stuff and dehn mi wahn get back to me but I neva did get back no info or anything.”

Isani Cayetano

“Do you believe that had he been enrolled in the program that perhaps this could have been prevented?”

Janet Lopez

“Yes, sir.  He mi wahn live longer, cause I know ih mi wahn live longer.

Isani Cayetano for News Five.