Killers strike in Valley of Peace

Belmopan police are tonight hot on the trail of a murderous duo that tried to shoot their way to some quick cash on Monday morning. Thirty-nine year old Valley of Peace businessman Samuel Najarro told police he was heading home after making sales in the Belmopan area. On the way, Najarro says he picked up forty-seven year old James Samuels Gabourel who was hitching a ride home to Valley of Peace. As the two men drove across a small bridge about a mile from the ferry, Najarro’s van came under gunfire. Refusing to stop, Najarro hit the gas and as the vehicle sped by, the gunmen, whom he identified as being of Creole descent, fired one last shot. The pellets, believed to have been fired from a shotgun, penetrated the back of the vehicle and found their mark in the back of Gabourel’s head and body. He was pronounced dead on arrival at the Belmopan Hospital. Najarro escaped without injury. Police say their investigation so far points to robbery as the motive for the murder. Officer in Charge of the Belmopan police station, Assistant Superintendent Simeon Alvarez, told News 5 that there is evidence that the two men laid in wait for Najarro, as discarded food was found at the same spot where the shooting occurred. Based on the description Najarro gave to police, authorities say they have a good idea who they are looking for. When the long arm of the law catches up to the two men, they’ll be slapped with charges of murder and attempted murder.