San Joaquin Rocked by Murder; Suspect on the Run

Omar Gonzalez & Doniver Ruano

A villager from San Joaquin, Corozal, this morning lost his life in a horrific way. He was attacked with a machete and chopped to the head.  Twenty one year old Amilcar Omar Morales Gonzalez and his close friend twenty year old Doniver Ruano had been partying throughout Wednesday night. This morning at around three they found themselves at the popular Fiesta grounds in the village. And this is where Gonzalez was murdered and Ruano injured. Their attacker is a convicted man who has spent more than a decade behind bars and is tonight on the run, possibly across the border. Gonzalez’s family believes the murder was motivated by jealousy.  News Five’s Andrea Polanco reports.

Andrea Polanco, Reporting

Omar Gonzalez and Doniver Ruano are not only neighbours, but also very close friends and would always hang out together. So when tragedy struck for one of the men, it would meet them together. But one of them wouldn’t make it out alive.

Omar Gonzalez

These two friends were socializing all across San Joaquin village on Wednesday night – moving from one house to the next and by daylight Thursday they were here near the Fiesta Grounds. The two men were on bike when they met a woman around three this morning – and shortly after a man known as Arturo Tamai Tzul walked up to the trio and addressed Gonzalez.

Sgt. Fernando Valladarez, Head of CIB, Corozal Police

“They came across a female Arjelis Sosa. They stopped to talk to her and at which time a male Hispanic person approached them and there was an exchange of words between the now deceased and the Hispanic male.”

Andrea Polanco

“What can you tell us about that exchange between the two men?”

Fernando Valladarez

Sgt. Fernando Valladarez

“Well, so far, the only thing we can say was apparently Arturo Tzul had confronted Arjeli Sosa sometime earlier, that same morning – this morning and when she met up with the now deceased and Doniver Ruano she had mentioned it to them and hence the reason when Arturo Tzul approached them there was an exchange which led to this.”

Tzul was carrying a machete which he used to attack both men. He first turned on Gonzalez and whacked him once from the front of the neck to the back of the head. He fell here in the middle of the street where he bled out and died. After that, Tzul turned the machete on Ruano who suffered a small chop to the neck. So, what caused this murder? Police are not certain.

Sgt. Fernando Valladarez

“At this moment I cannot with certainty say that yes it is as a result of her but she has since given a written statement to the police where she told us certain things and she just confirmed what our investigation revealed.”

Andrea Polanco

“This woman in question, was she ever in a relationship with either the deceased or the suspect in this case?”

Sgt. Fernando Valladarez

“From our investigation, she had a relationship with the now deceased.”

Andrea Polanco

“Nothing with the suspect?”

Sgt. Fernando Valladarez

“From our investigation, nothing has come up so I cannot say with certainty yes or no.”

Andrea Polanco

“Just to clarify, you don’t have a motive for the murder, you’d say?”

Sgt. Fernando Valladarez

“I don’t have a clear motive to be exact.”

According to Gonzalez’s family, the twenty one year old was an easy going and friendly person. He was known across the Village because he sold pastries for a living. But that didn’t stop another village from taking his life. As far as most knew, the two men were not friends but they knew each other. Today Lorena Gonzalez says she believes her son was killed over a woman.

Lorena Gonzalez

Lorena Gonzalez, Mother of Deceased [Translated]

“My son didn’t even know him; he didn’t have any enemy here in San Joaquin. He was a good son to me. He was my only son and he helped me with everything. He just turned twenty-one on eleventh of June.   It looks like it happened over a girl he was with – Arjeli Sosa from here in San Joaquin it was because of her. But I don’t know what she had with that man who killed my son because my son used to date her before. He had told me he didn’t want to have anything to do with her anymore but she still insisted and I have texts that she used to harass him.”

Police are now looking for thirty four year old Arturo Tamai Tzul. After the attack, he ran from the scene. He went to knock on villagers’ doors and they said he was covered in blood and informed them that he had killed a man and he wanted to hide. But none of them took him in. They said Tzul was still in the possession of the machete.Police said he had only recently returned to Corozal after spending fourteen years in prison in Mexico for another crime. Hemay be armed and dangerous.

Arturo Tamai Tzul

Sgt. Fernando Valladarez

“Up to this time, we have not located him. We have sent out all formation messages and we have informed the ports of entries and as we speak we have police out there combing the area to see if we can actually find him.”

Andrea Polanco

“Do you believe he is still in Belize; in San Joaquin?”

Sgt. Fernando Valladarez

“I am not sure but the information out there is that he might have gone out into Mexican territory.   I believe, through our investigation, if he is seen that it is best that they call the police because he might be armed and he might be dangerous. So, it is best you call the police.”

Reporting for News Five, I’m Andrea Polanco.