Murder Capital: 16 year old killed in Belize City

Robert Allan Gladden

Terror reigned on the south side on Wednesday night as more blood spilled into the streets. In less than two hours, two minors and a nineteen year old were cold bloodedly killed in a string of murders. The mayhem started early in the evening when a sixteen year old IT-VET student was gunned down in a crime designated area. Robert Allan Gladden was in the area of Partridge Street running an errand when he his life was cut short. News Five’s Isani Cayetano reports

Isani Cayetano, Reporting

A pool of blood, cupped inside a pothole near the intersections of Partridge and Lavender streets, is the trace of an unusually gory crime scene.  Residents attest to hearing a single blast but paid no particular attention since children in the neighborhood had been playing with firecrackers moments earlier.  It wasn’t until sometime after that the body of sixteen-year-old Robert Allan Gladden was found lying motionless in an adjacent ditch.

Raphael Martinez

Raphael Martinez, Police Press Officer

“Initial investigations revealed that Robert Gladden was on Partridge Street, heading to Lavender Street when he was approached by a male person of dark complexion with dreadlocks, who rode up to him and fired a single shot at him then rode away on Partridge Street.”

His mother, school warden Joy Belizaire, was at home in Ladyville when she was alerted of the tragedy.

Joy Belizaire

Voice of: Joy Belizaire, Mother of Deceased

“My son just geh wahn text from wah friend da city and ih seh dat dehn just shot ih bredda and he cohn and he tell me and I cohn down and I gaan di hospital and I gaan gahn sih he da di morgue and I sih dah he.  But I noh really know, I noh know nothing, nothing.  I cyant tell yoh if ih mi deh by ihself, if ih mi deh wid anybody.”

Following the incident, officers from the neighboring Mahogany Street Precinct responded to the scene and asked onlookers to identify the body.  Since Gladden is not a resident of the area he was unknown to many, that is until someone was able to positively ID him.

Raphael Martinez

“The body of Robert Gladden was transported to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital where it was pronounced dead at 7:45 p.m. on December 19^th, 2012.”

According to his mother, Allan had only just been sent on an errand by his grandmother who lives quite a distance away.  His presence in that area is anyone’s guess.

Isani Cayetano

“Can you say if he was being sent on an errand or what may have had him all the way from Administration Drive to where this incident took place?”

Voice of: Joy Belizaire

“Well yeah, I guess she send ahn gaan gahn buy or ih mih give ahn money fi mek ih mi gaan buy something fi eat and I noh know if dah when ih gwein or coming back that da when ih get shot. I ask di police weh dehn get ahn, dehn seh Partridge Street dah di kenel side.  Dehn tell me ih mi deh down face down wid di gunshot wound but I di ask dehn fi di phone and I ask dehn fi di bike weh ih mi deh pan and dehn seh dehn noh find ahn wid no bike or no phone.  I noh really know if ih mi gaan out pan di bike or I sure dat he mi wah have ih phone pan ahn because he noh go nowhere without fi he phone.  The last time I talk to my son da mi after three, da mi minutes to four di evening when I text ahn and ask ahn weh ih di do and ih tell me ih di eena ih granny yard wid ih uncle and ih step grandfather di chill.”

Sixteen-year-old Robert Allan Gladden was a student of ITVET.  His father was gunned down in Belize City in similar fashion a few years ago.  Police have made no arrests so far. Reporting for News Five, I am Isani Cayetano.