Yhony Rosado refutes allegations of being involved in assault of Vitalino Reyes Jr.

Vitalino Reyes Jr.

Tour operator Vitalino Reyes Junior is still comatose at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital. Reyes Junior was assaulted last week Thursday during a confrontation at a bar; he was beaten so badly that he ended up on life support. His competitor in the tourism industry, Yhony Rosado of Cavetubing.com and his employees are at the center of the allegations, so today, Rosado refuted reports that he was involved. Accompanied by his attorney, Audrey Matura-Shepherd, Rosado says it is not him.

Isani Cayetano, Reporting

Independent tour operator Yhony Rosado, proprietor of Cave-tubing.com, has been embroiled in a longstanding feud with Vitalino Reyes and his family.  Their heated rivalry revolves around their businesses and has reached flashpoint on at least two occasions.  On Thursday evening, Rosado and his employees were socializing at a local bar here in Belize City when they allegedly got into a physical altercation with Reyes’ son, Vitalino Jr.  That’s an account given by his colleague to police, one that is being refuted by Rosado and attorney Audrey Matura-Shepherd.

Yhony Rosado

Yhony Rosado, Accused of Assaulting Vitalino Reyes Jr.

“My workers basically surrounded me.  Everybody knows me, for some reason my workers like to surround me and they were surrounding me while ordering a round when [I heard] [sound effects with is mouth] and when we saw this, it happened like, if I’m saying five seconds I’m telling a lie, like two seconds [and he was lying] on the ground.  Then some young men that were on the premises ran out and that’s about it.  I told my guys keep away from that, we cyant even go go help because we would incriminate ourselves.  We can’t do nothing so it wasn’t none of my workers.  If it was any one of my workers police would have carried all of us because the security was right there.”

Despite a recent court order binding both parties to keep the peace, it’s anyone’s guess whether the incident was indeed the result of a chance encounter.  On Friday, Vitalino’s co-worker Yoney Vega gave an entirely different report.

Yoney Vega

Yoney Vega, Co-Worker of Vitalino Reyes Jr. [File: May 30^th, 2014]

“After the cruise ships we were fuelling up; we sent all our vans toward home and then we went over to take a couple of beers with my friend. He said he wanted to see a friend that he had there, it is called Long Island. After we went there, we were there drinking like two beers when Yhony crowd approach, his staff; they were in full uniform so all of them could have been distinguished. They came directly towards we and they were laughing at us. So I told Junior let’s go because this doesn’t look alright. Before we move out, he even called his dad to tell him that we were surrounded by those guys and their intention was to hurt us.”

Whoever assaulted Reyes with a beer bottle inside the tavern is believed to still be at large.  There are, however, more questions than answers as to how the twenty-three-year-old tour guide ended up at the K.H.M.H. unconscious and on life support.

Audrey Matura-Shepherd, Attorney for Yhony Rosado

Audrey Matura-Shepherd

“We cannot be naïve, police also need to account how come they got two conscious men in their custody and then later on we hear on the news that one is unconscious and in the hospital.  They need to be able to give that timeline because from our inquiries, the police arrived at the scene little [afterwards], like around six-fifteen p.m.  Let’s say by six-thirty p.m. they left there with those guys and it was not until about seven-forty-five that they arrived at the hospital.  Had they really believed these guys were in danger why did they, because they brought them to the Belama Police Station first and from here is where they took them to the hospital?  They need to account also for during that time what they did with these two men who were highly intoxicated.”

The police, according to Vega, refused to transport Vitalino Jr. to the hospital, notwithstanding the fact that he was out cold.  Vega says that they insisted on recording a statement.

Yoney Vega [File: May 30^th, 2014]

“I was telling him that if my colleague, which is Vitalino Reyes Junior; he was unconscious and I ask him if he can please take me to hospital. He said no. I told him why not? He said I have to take you first to the station to write a report. I told him, he is not doing good; he is not talking; he is not opening his eyes. And the police denied, he still denied and he said he wanted the key from the van also. So they took us there to the station at Belama and he said wake your friend beucase he has to come down from the truck.”

For their part, the employees of Cave-tubing.com are trying to clear their names, cooperating with the police in their investigation.

Evan Aguirre, Employee, Cavetubing.com

Evan Aguirre

“We have been to the station and given our statements freely.  No one came for us, no one looked for us.  We went there, we’re trying to help in any manner we can.  The officers have our numbers, they have our addresses and we also explained to them that if we get any further information we will share it with them and if they need us at any time for any questioning they know that they can get in contact with Mr. Rosado or any of the guys who went in to give statements that were with us.  So it’s not like we’re trying to hide anything.  We want to resolve this as much as Mr. Reyes and his family because we want to let everyone know that we were not involved in any way or anything to do with this incident with Mr. Reyes or his family.”

Reporting for News Five, I am Isani Cayetano.

One person is being questioned in respect of the incident.