Taxi man brutally murdered on Corozal road

Fernando Antonio Cowo

The latest murder victim is a taxi driver from Orange Walk Town. On Friday after-noon sometime after one-thirty, Fernando Antonio Cowo was chartered by two passengers for a trip to Corozal but he never made it back home. His body was found in his car on the outskirts of Corozal Town. News Five’s Andrea Polanco travelled north and has a report on Friday’s murder.

Andrea Polanco, Reporting

For twenty years, sixty year old Fernando Cowo operated his taxi out of the Orange Walk Taxi Association stand. But on Friday, his life ended  tragically. Last seen leaving Orange Walk Town, enroute to Corozal with two passengers inside his taxi, Cowo was discovered in some bushes off the San Andres Road. Around four-thirty, Corozal Police were called out to an area near the Mary Hill School:

James Moreira

ASP James Moreira, Deputy O.C., Corozal Police

“The police responded to that information and on the arrival there where they found a green taxi with Orange Walk licensed plate and male Hispanic person in the taxi apparently dead who had stab wounds to the throat and chest.”

Andrea Polanco

“Has it been determined if the taxi driver maybe was on business doing a run from Orange Walk to Corozal? What has the investigation determined so far?”

ASP James Moreira

“Up to this point, we have confirmed that the taxi driver was seen in the companion of two individuals from Orange Walk en route to Corozal—two men.”

Andrea Polanco

“So no leads so far as to the identification of these two men?”

ASP James Moreira

“As you know police has to take their time in order to investigate on those type of incidents.”

Benita Rosado

According to Cowo’s common-law wife of thirty-eight years, Benita Rosado, his mutilated body was discovered in the back seat of his green taxi car. The blood stained seats indicate that there may have been a struggle. And the family believes that Cowo might have known the men who killed him:

Voice of: Benita Rosado, Common-law-wife of Cowo

“He tell mi he nuh di ker nobody that he does not know. So I noh know how this things happen to me—how he wah ker these people and he noh know them people. So in my opinion I am saying he mi know the person or else he neva mi wah do the trip.”

Andrea Polanco

“When was the last time you say him or spoke with him?”

Voice of: Benita Rosado

“Well he come and eat twelve o’clock like usually. He come and he eat and stay wah lee while with me and he gone one-thirty from yah. That dah di last time I see him, then I heard dehn kill him.”

Andrea Polanco

“But he didn’t tell you if he was going on a chartered trip or anything?”

Voice of: Benita Rosado

“Well he never tell me that. When he go to do a trip; when he go and come that dah when he tell me.”

And because he is a law abiding citizen, and his personal items are missing, the family believes that Cowo’s murder was motivated by robbery.

Voice of: Benita Rosado

“He dah wah person he nuh mess with no bad things and suh. He dah wah nice man; he noh get into trouble and nothing.”

Andrea Polanco

“Do you think they killed him to rob him?”

Voice of: Benita Rosado

“Well I think so because sometimes I tell him watch ihself because he dah taxi and things di happen and suh.”

Andrea Polanco

“So I understand some of his personal belongings are missing?”

Voice of: Benita Rosado

“Yes his wallet with some cash and ih cell phone. Dah just weh I say dah maybe wah assault or just dehn do that to make dehn noh seh how that maybe dah robbery.”

According to Cowo, two sets of clothing, believed to belong to the killers, were discovered on the scene. Reporting for News Five, I’m Andrea Polanco.

Up to news time, Corozal Police say that no arrests have been made and there are no suspects at this time.