Hunting Expedition In Orange Walk District Ends in Fatality

Selvyn Tillett

Orange Walk police are also reporting the death of a sixty-five-year-old man. Tagged as an accidental shooting, Inspector Selvyn Tillett says that police visited an area two miles southwest on the Yo Creek Road where approximately fifty feet from a feeder road, the body of Gumercindo Mendoza was found with gunshot wounds to the hands, abdomen and left side of his head. Mendoza was out hunting with his sixty-three-year-old brother, Celso Moreno, when sometime around eleven p.m. on Wednesday night, Moreno says he fired a shot at a deer…only to realize that in fact it was his brother that he had hit. Mendoza’s shotgun and a machete were found about a foot away from his body, as well as a head lamp. Inspector Tillett told News Five via phone that Moreno has been detained.

Via Phone: Insp. Selvyn Tillett, Deputy O.C., Orange Walk Formation

“Police observed the motionless body of a male Hispanic person lying face up on the ground with what appeared to be gunshot wounds. According to Celso Moreno, a sixty-three year old Belizean of Orange Walk Town, reported that himself along with his brother, Gumercindo Ernesto Mendoza, sixty-five years also of Orange Walk Town was on a hunting trip in that said area; each going their own direction. Later during the course of the day, Celso Moreno saw what appeared to be a deer, he shot at it and when he went to the area, he saw that it was his brother Gumercindo was lying on the ground apparently dead.”

Duane Moody

“Sir we know that it is being tagged as an accidental shooting, but I believe Mister Moreno is currently detained. Is it possible that he intentionally killed his brother?”

Via Phone: Insp. Selvyn Tillett

“I wouldn’t point on that. Our investigation is that we recorded statements from relatives. These two brothers have been going hunting for over thirty-three years together and both own farms in the same area where they were hunting.”