Hellen Yu, 14, murdered; her father shot by robbers
There was a murder in Belize City this morning. It was a robbery that ended fatally for a young female student. At about ten this morning Yue’s store on Iguana Street Extension became the scene of the city’s latest homicide and this time a fourteen year old girl was killed. Ziren Yu had operated in the area for over ten years, the building which houses his shop, also serves as his home. Yu himself was shot during the robbery, but unfortunately when one of the robbers fled and fell off his bicycle, he decided to shoot one more bullet towards the building and that’s when fourteen year old Helen Yu, a student of E.P. Yorke was shot and killed. News Five spoke to Lee Mark Chang, a friend of the family as well as a neighbor of the Yu’s.
Lee Mark Chang, Friend of Victims
lee mark chang
“I got a phone call this morning at about eleven o’clock of a Chinese person being shot and his daughter died on the spot. That’s the information I got this morning and I went to the hospital right away to find out what happened. When I got there I found out that the guy is my friend, Mr. Yu and he was being prepared to take into the operating theatre.”
Jose Sanchez
“The violence, do you think it’s something that’s targeting the Chinese community or just random criminal acts.”
Lee Mark Chang
“I think it’s random criminal acts. I don’t think it’s only the Chinese community being targeted. I think it’s on a whole, Belize is being targeted by criminals.”
Voice of: Neighbor of Murder and Shooting Victim
“I heard the first shot, I jumped out ah my bed and I stand up by di screen door. I looked outside and I si three young man run out ah di shop in front ah fi we house. Tow gone left and one went to the right. One ah di bike drop so he turn back and pick up ih bike and dah den he let go di third shot right from by weh pah ih pick up ih bike from. As dehn gone I open di door and I run out so I gone cross by di Chiney and di Chiney gial di bawl help, call di police. One ah dehn, di husband get shot. Well dah he I si pan di ground behind counter. I mi think ih di deh but ih noh dead yet. Inna di shop, di lee gial mi deh inna di back. Yoh could si dat dah inna ih back ih get because ih mi di face di room instead di door dah di main entrance. I just rush di two ah dehn, di police neva want dehn move di body but di neighbours mi willing fi move fi get assistance. Di lee gial pass weh so she neva did mek it but di father, he survive di surgery.”
Lee Mark Chang
ziren yu
“They were moving some stuff into the shop and that’s where the criminals they came and they took advantage of the situation and that’s how they entered the shop. But I guess it’s just precaution, security, if you see anybody hanging around, give the police a call so they can come out and investigate the situation.”
Jose Sanchez
“In regards to how the family is coping with the situation, do you know if they’re going to keep the shop open or what they’re going to do at this point?”
Lee Mark Chang
“Well, Mr. Yu has been there for over ten years already so it’s the family bread and butter. I don’t think he knows that his daughter is dead yet and we, his friends, don’t want to increase the trauma for him. But we’ll see after he gets well and we can move on from there.”
My heart breaks when I read the news. I don’t know what to say, but may God bless Belize. We certainly need grace in our country, protecting our citizens.
My poor Belize what’s going on with all this killing poor young girl it’s so sad all these young boys killing for no damm reason they really need to start doing something so this killing stop start hang these people that kill innocent people my prayers goes out to the family of this young girl and let her father get better…
We need capital punishment — hang ALL the killers first time! No parole, no escapes — and no more killers.
I hope he had surveillance cameras & we can track them down. No family deserves this & I appreciate Mr Chang acknowledging that it is not a Chinese problem, it is a Belize problem.
Mr. Chang, unless we have Police or armed security present at every delivery, the shopkeepers cannot protect themselves & receive inventory. These thugs won’t stop unless they are dead or in jail & they are better armed & coordinated than the Police.
I hope they catch those animals, unfortunately the harsh punishment for such crime is still on papers and not in the court as yet.
Belizeans are lazy and continue to kill and take what they want, and when they want form hard working people. We might not care very much for the Chinese but they provide food and merchandise for the belizean people all over the country, when you cut off the hand of those that feed you you will starve to death.
i hope the public help in finding those animals responsible for this crime.
this is so sad! RIP Hellen and hope that Ziren can recover soon…..will be tough when he finds out his daughter is gone…I hope he recognized them and they can take them down one by one. Eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth
May God be with this family in this tragic time, poor child killed by a lunatic for some money to go buy crack. The daily killing will continue in Belize as long as this DRUG epedimic continues and guns are so easily available on the streets.
How long Belize? How long shall we endure these senseless killings of our citizens? Not only the gang members are being murdered, innocent children and by-standers are being slathered, what is wrong in our society? Why are we just standing by and allowing these barbaric acts of violence to continue? There are too many unanswered questions plaguing our communities, we the decent citizen’s needs to take action against these delinquents and rid our societies of them. These are pests that need to be rooted out and hang by the neck until dead.
It really breaks my heart and brings me to tears to read this story, this is not about a ‘dog eats dog’ situation, these are blatant and defiant acts, total disregard for human life. I have said before, this is a situation triggered by a lack of governance in our country, these things happens because the criminals are above the law; they function under laws of their own and not pay the ultimate price for their actions. Mr. Prime Minister; you have many of them imprisoned awaiting their release, that is where you need to start, to hell with “human the rights fairy tale” we are the sufferers and we demands justice in our society for all law abiding citizens.
There is a time for everything “the time to hang is now”
Soh Jah Seh
Man, how long are the citizens of Belize going to tolerate this behaviour, it is a social disease that must be stopped at the community level. So many children have been killed this year by these ruthless thugs. The community know who these people are, it is to be brave and honorable and stand up against this evil.
we’re in a bad situation Dean Barrow we need you as the PM to do someting about this killing either bring back the hanging or life sentence with no parole with hard extreme labour like guantamo bay cuba, if torture is needed let it be avaible too. this killers have no mercy so lets not have mercy on them also. if they have mothers hope they think back how thier sons are walking the streets killing people like dogs, mein this really pisses me off that the gov. can’t hear our cries everyday for a stop to this crimes.
No one wants to believe me…. Belize is preparing its self to be a Central American Haiti. My prayers goes out to the family and victim. If nothing is done it will only get worst.
As a Belizean and within our rich and varied ethnicity I believe its not fair to say, ´¨ Crime Situation in Belize ¨.. It should say, Crime Situation in Belize City.. Everyone in Belize City thinks that what happens and decided there is the country of BELIZE. ITs not the country of Belize CIty but the country of Belize.. People in other districts feel its not fair and although its not crime free its not out of control like belize city. Once we have identified the location then its clear where to attack the problem.. AND, lets not make these criminals think they are victims of poverty.. We love to do that in the city.. Other districts are not more rich but people know what a good day´hard work is and contribution to our country. As a nation we should find solutions together but lets be real about the facts and face them…
It never stops, the killing and raping.
I’ve checked this contry out for living , visiting and more but, untill this countries government and local people get this insane crimes under control I think it’s going no where. Who wants to invest/ or live in this crap. I’ve read over nad over for years about the rapes and murders for little or no reason in this country. I agry with the previous writer–BRING IN CAPITAL PUNISHMENT.AND EXECUTE THESE WORTHLESS PIECES OF GARBAGE. If you don’t you’re never going to have a country worth a …… You need people to visit and come to live/ develope/ help .No one wants to live in this…..
people who commit crimes like this need to be punished, hang them. show the criminals that this wont be tolerated, dont put them in jail, where you have to feed them, take up space, and use precious tax dollars. and build more jails. show no tolerance, unless it is in self defence. this might make the criminal think before they commit these intolerable crimes. this is tax dollars being wasted, let alone the fact that belize relies on tourism. so the country is being hurt because the tourist wont come, crime will grow. stop the violence once and for all, kill the people commiting the crimes, make it a safe place
and dont do what america does feed them, give them tv 3 square meals a day, keep them on death row for years and years, see if there re habilitated. who cares there victims had no choices, neither should the killers. these days criminals have more rights than the hard working victims. obviously theres something wrong with these peoples brains, lets not put them on the streets to see if there rehabilitated. bring back hanging now
Belize my beloved country is now without any values for life. My heart goes out to these people for their lost. I ask you Father in the name of Our Lord Jesus Christ to comfort this family and strengthen them. Take this pain away from them Almighty Father and Bless them. Please help and protect our people in Belize City and wash away every innocent blood flowing through out our old Capital with your precious blood. The evil one and his angels are having a field day among our innocent and respectable Citizens. Lord, please help them and rebuke satan and his angels in the name of Our Lord Jesus Christ. This burden is too heavy to carry Almighty Father, please save our Old Capital and our Country. Almighty Father, deliver us from all evil, guide us and protect us under the shadows of your precious wings. In Jesus name we pray. Amen and Amen.
Well-said Karla. I am so sad to see that another young Chinese woman has been gunned down in Belize. The Chinese community has lived so peacefully in Belize for almost 150 years (since 1865) and has contributed enormously to our country’s economy. You’re so right about the various ethnic groups in Belize, which enriches our culture. It is one thing I am so proud to say and sell to people abroad who enquire about my country.
When we consider the senseless killings over the past 2-3 years, we’ve tried to link it with poverty, perhaps to make some sort of sense of the mindless actions of the thugs. You made a very valid point that this particular problem seems to be concentrated in Belize City. Therefore it is right that efforts be targeted in certain areas (perhaps by the police and BDF) to eradicate this problem. We need house searches based on intelligence, checkpoints in the streets, and very long sentencing for gun possessions, and this definitely will need the cooperation of everyone. If we don’t, we will continue to endure this ridiculous situation and respectable people becoming victims.
Figet Haiti bredrin, more while Jamaica mi seh wid di sufferation wun side enuh … Belize a badmon country lang tyme … nuff killing mash eh up irie vybz
This is a shame. Shame. Shame and by the way there is another young lady dat they kill Saturday nite cauce she was a witness to a murder. She was supposed to go to court Monday and testefy and they kill her the person that she was goin to testefy mother told she will pay somebody to kill her now she is also dead.
Mr Barrow whats good with operation Jaguar?Please start hanging these idiots.
haru. i wish we met before this happened.
i wanted us to see hsj together. i really did.
ur a …..
madas mein….wtf is going on here? those crack heads shoud be hanged when found!
I wish my schedule weren’t busy so we could talk before this happen Haru.
You don’t deserve this Haru.
You are a very talented girl and you have a lot of potential.
You really dont deserve this.
You are a really good friend to me, especially when I was down, back when I werent busy.
this is still bothering me. the three reponsible are behind bars but for something completely different. Clifford Anderson, Elbert Miller and Emmanuel Lemott should be facing those horrible charges instead of Jermaine Matura. it is not right to kill but it is also not fair to have an individual in prison facing murder charges, etc whhos completely innocent. the PD are not doing thir jobs…what els do they need to see that justice is served for the yu’s family???? what else do they need to ee that jermaine is innocent?