Jamie Chavarria, Marked for Death, Shot and Killed on Berkeley Street

Jamie Chavarria

There had been several previous attempts on the life of twenty-six year old Jamie Chavarria, including one as recent as three weeks ago. But on Monday night, the Belize City resident would no longer elude death.  Chavarria was executed on an alley off Berkeley Street by at least one shooter who fired twice hitting him on the back and head. While the motive for his murder has not been specified, it is known that he was affiliated to two gangs.

Duane Moody, Reporting

Just after seven on Monday night, three shots were heard in the downtown area of Belize City. Moments later, police would discover the lifeless body of twenty-six year old Jamie Chavarria. He had been shot twice; once to the head and to the back by at least one gunman, whom it is believed lay-waited him through a dark alley off Berkeley Street.

Supt. Hilberto Romero, O.C., CIB, Eastern Division

“Around seven-ten p.m., police personnel visited an alley off Berkeley Street where they found the motionless body of Jamie Chavarria, twenty-six years with apparent gunshot wounds to the head and to the back. The scene was processed; he was transported to the K.H.M.H. where he was pronounced dead on arrival.”

Chavarria was reportedly socializing with some friends and had decided to head home through the dark alley used by most residents of the area. But his killer or killers, in the cover of the dark, assaulted him from behind.

Hilberto Romero

Supt. Hilberto Romero

“We have our investigators on the ground; they are re-canvassing the area thoroughly. This is a dark alley in that area and the only information is that he was traveling through that alley to go purchase an item. Thereafter, three gunshots were heard in that immediate area and thereafter his body was found.”

Reporter

“Does he reside in that area?”

Supt. Hilberto Romero

“Yes, his girlfriend resides in that general area across the canal. This murder occurred through a dark alley which has a partial building, it has some grass in the area and the area is dark. Like I said, information is he went to buy something and was using that alley as a shortcut to access the street.”

But while Chavarria is no stranger to police, in the past two and a half years, he has been the victim of three shootings; the most recent on Monday night took his life. Back in 2012, he was one of five persons, including a four year old, shot in the Milpa area of Ladyville. Twenty-one year old Allen Davis was murdered in that shooting. Three weeks ago, on March second, he was shot once to the chest on West Canal between Berkeley and South Streets and on Monday, he was targeted for a third time; this time it turned deadly. Chavarria was killed in proximity to where he lived. Police say there is no motive at this time for the murder.

Supt. Hilberto Romero

“He had been shot previously…he had made a statement. No one was charged for that case and again he was targeted last night.”

Duane Moody

“Sir, we understand that he is well known to police; that he has been charged in the past for criminal activity. Can you talk to us on that?”

Supt. Hilberto Romero

“Yes he has been charged before. He was the subject of other investigations that we had dealt with in particular a murder that had occurred some years back at the Haulover bridge area.”

Duane Moody

“Any motive behind the murder?”

Supt. Hilberto Romero

“We have no conclusive motive at this time. We are working on it. Like I mentioned, he had been shot before recently; no one had been charged for that particular shooting. So far, we have no one detained for this murder.”

A patrol is now in place in the area. Duane Moody for News Five.