2 Men Stabbed, 1 Fatally in Brutal Home Invasion

Ian Robert Blair

There was a deadly home invasion at about one-thirty this morning in Belize City. Ian Robert Blair of a Lizarraga Street address was visiting with Doctor Marcos Christopher Rugama Miranda at the doctor’s house on Simon Lamb Street when he was fatally stabbed on the chest and succumbed in a bedroom. According to the investigators, the doctor surprised two men assaulting Blair and as he tried to ward them off, one of the attackers also stabbed him on the chest, but fortunately he is out danger. The men fled but took with them a television set which has been recovered. Three men from the neighborhood have been detained. News Five’s Duane Moody reports.

Duane Moody, Reporting

An aggravated burglary in the wee hours of this morning turned murder, claiming the life of a thirty-seven year old Belize City employee of Zero Degrees. Ian Blair, the nephew of Tourism Minister Manuel Heredia, was socializing at the home of Urologist Doctor Marcos Rugama when two men—one with a knife and the other with a handgun—entered the house on Simon Lamb Street near the St. Joseph Primary School. The thieves, who jumped the perimeter fence to the property to enter and escape, made off with a television, but not before stabbing both Doctor Rugama and Blair.

Deziree Phillips

ACP Deziree Phillips, Regional Commander, Eastern Division North

“Around one-forty-five this morning, police were called to number six Simon Lamb Street. Upon arrival, they were met by Marcus Rugama Miranda; he’s a medical doctor. He was observed with a single stab wound to the chest and he reported to police that he was at home socializing in the company of a friend Ian Blair and he went outside to the back door to pick in some clothing off the clothes line and upon his return he was met by two dark complexion male persons inside his dwelling. He reported that they had what appeared to be a knife and a firearm held at Ian. He quickly tried to ward them off by throwing different things at them and that is when he was stabbed in the chest. Ian ran to the bedroom; one of the male persons followed him in there and inflicted a couple stab wounds on him.”

The commotion in the dead of the night caught the attention of neighbors who alerted the police. Within minutes, they were on the scene and rushed Doctor Rugama to the K.H.M.H. where he is currently in a stable condition. Blair, however, died inside the room.

Amir Heredia

Amir Heredia, Brother of Murder Victim

“He doesn’t live there; it is just a friend that he normally goes and visits once in a while. As far as I know, he was there at the wrong place at the wrong time when this happen.”

Reporter

“And the people who’ve been detained, are they people known to the family or may have been known to him?”

Amir Heredia

“Nope, these people aren’t known to the family and as far as we know, it looks like its people that probably was observing them in the neighborhood. As far as we get an understanding, it could be people in the neighborhood that was already keeping an eye on them.”

Marcos Rugama

The culprits got away with a flat screen television, which was recovered shortly after within the neighborhood. Quick police response also led to the detention of three persons, including a seventeen year old minor, who lives within the general area and are known to the police for various crimes.

ACP Dezerie Phillips

“We have three persons detained in custody.”

Duane Moody

“Ma’am a motive behind this murder?”

ACP Dezerie Phillips

“The investigation so far is leading us in the direction of an aggravated burglary. I have to say that this is an isolated incident; it was something that occurred inside the confines of a premise, but I have to say that police were not far away. As a matter of fact, according to the doctor, before he could go to the bedroom to check on Mister Blair, police were at his door. So police were in the immediate area.”

The family is asking for justice.

Amir Heredia

“I didn’t expect that he was going to die in that way. And I am just asking that…I hope with the help of the police department and the justice system of Belize, I just hope that me and my family can get justice for my brother because he didn’t deserve this way to die.”

Regional Commander, Assistant Superintendent Dezerie Phillips, says that charges are expected to be levied shortly. Duane Moody for News Five.