Separate Murders in the north leave cops w/ hands full

Two months after police foiled what appeared to have been a hit on an Orange Walk businessman; tonight it is believed that someone else has finished the job. The body of forty-six year old Alvaro Zetina was found early Wednesday afternoon three miles into the Honey Camp road. Zetina had been shot multiple times in the back of head. Authorities strongly suspect the execution style killing is drug related. According to police Zetina is a reputed drug dealer who allegedly arranged transhipments between Belize and Mexico. Investigators say they believe he was lured outside of his home on Unity Street and then taken in his Cherokee Jeep to Progresso Street. His vehicle was later found abandoned leading cops to suspect that Zetina driven in another vehicle to the murder scene. Orange Walk police tell News Five Zetina was last seen alive by family members around eleven thirty Wednesday morning. Because of an incident in March, family members immediately became alarmed and launched a search party. They were the ones that found Zetina’s vehicle. According to police, it was a rancher who discovered the body. The witness thought it was a hit and run because he noticed a green vehicle quickly leaving the area. On March tenth, police got an anonymous tip to search a Corozal hotel room where they found two unlicensed nine millimetre Beretta pistols and one nine millimetre Sig Saeur. Additional rounds were found in a plastic bag. The discovery led to the arrest of David Rendon and Jesus Araujo, two Mexicans whom police would later strongly suspect had come to Belize to kill Alvaro Zetina. Both men were charged with preparation for murder, conspiracy to commit murder and conspiracy to commit kidnapping. As far as we understand, both men are on remand in Hattieville Prison.

While Orange Walk police continue to look for clues in Wednesday afternoon’s murder, their counterparts in Corozal are also investigating another homicide in that border community. News Five’s Jacqueline Godwin has the disturbing details.

Jacqueline Godwin, Reporting
Thirty year old Adonai Espat left a trail of blood behind as he desperately tried to reach his home, located two and a half blocks away from where he was viciously stabbed. The crime scene is inside the mound of the Santa Rita Maya Ruin. Initial police investigations have revealed that around eleven thirty on Wednesday night, Espat was walking home when he was abducted by two men near the archaeological site. Espat was then taken to the ruin where a struggled ensued. It is there investigators say that one of the attackers pulled out a knife and started stabbing the victim.

Eder Riverol, Step brother of the Deceased
?He had a stab here, back, here and a cut here. The stab from here led him to die. He was bleeding they could not stop it.?

The murder weapon severed a main artery in Espat?s neck. As Espat struggled into his yard he collapsed in this sofa. Espat was rushed forty two miles away to the Northern Regional Hospital in Orange Walk. According to Eder Riverol his step brother managed to speak with his mother just before he was whisked to the operating room.

Eder Riverol
?He just told his mother that it was two Latin guys and he went into surgery after that he died during the surgery. He passed away.?

An hour and a half after Espat died, his family says two men visited a neighbour and enquired about him. The visit has led the family to suspect that the duo may have been involved in the murder.

Eder Riverol
?Two Latin guys came to the neighbour?s house and asked the neighbour if the fellow, Adonai lives there, next door and the guy said, yes. The guys then asked who else lives in there??

Corozal police would not comment on there investigation. The family; however, hopes that it will end in an arrest and conviction.

Eder Riverol
?Well the family hopes they find who it is. The police have already commenced their investigation. They were here already, they went to the family?s house already, and we hope they find who it was or whosoever knows about it come up and tell us the family what happened. So we could find who did it.?

Adonai Espat had been home for only one month after being away for some seven years. According to the family it appears that Espat was not robbed a fact that has relatives deeply disturbed.

Eder Riverol
?Very troubling to the family. Some of them cannot believe it yet. Because he was a cool guy, did not get in with anyone, had no problems with no one, none at all. He was a family guy so no one cannot believe it right now. Nothing was stolen from him. Everything he went out with, he went back home with.?

It is not the first time that a deadly attack has occurred at one of the main tourist attractions in the Corozal District. In 1999 thirteen year old Becky Gilharry was taken to the ruin where she was raped and killed. To date, the site remains unsecured.

Eder Riverol
?In fact there was a security here, but from he passed away there have been no security here again. And this place is really, really dark at night. You see no lights, at night none at all. I think they would want to see more security here.?

Jacqueline Godwin for News Five.

Up to news time tonight no arrests have been made in the Espat murder case.