Justin Orellana, Relative of Late Bernadine Lauriano, Follows Her in Death in Lords’ Bank
Justin Orellana
There were a total of three murders recorded over the weekend; two in rural Belize District and one in the south. In Lord Bank’s, Ladyville, twenty-eight-year-old Justin Emmanuel Orellana was found by a family member shot dead on Sunday morning inside his home. Residents say they heard shots being fired in the wee hours of Sunday morning and several hours later, Orellana’s body was found. He had only weeks ago moved to Lord’s Bank from Belize City. News Five’s Duane Moody reports.
The stay out sign painted on the zinc fence to the property did not stop a gunman from entering and kicking in the door to this house occupied at the time by Justin Emmanuel Orellana Thompson. The twenty-eight-year-old would grab a machete to defend himself but was shot and killed. On Sunday morning, police were called out to the scene on Edwin Parks Street in Lords Bank, Belize District. Orellana’s body was found partially covered with a blanket and the machete in his right hand.
Alejandro Cowo
ASP Alejandro Cowo, O.C., C.I.B., Belize City
“Sometime after seven in the morning, Ladyville police responded to the body of a male person inside of a house at Edwin parks Avenue, Lord’s Bank Village. As a result, upon arrival inside of a small house, police observed the motionless body of a male persons lying face up on top of a bed. Inspection of the body revealed that he had several apparent gunshot wounds to the body and also police found several expended shells on the scene. What police has gathered so far is that the male person was identified as Justin Emmanuel Orellana, a twenty-eight-year-old Belizean of that said address.”
Duane Moody
“Orellana’s body was discovered here inside this two bedroom wooden house, which he was renting for at least three weeks. From what we were able to understand, shots rang out around three o’clock on Sunday morning and later that day; his body would be discovered lying on his bed. He had been shot multiple times to the chest and hand.”
Voice of: Landlord
“He was renting from me about three weeks now; about three weeks now he mi deh yah di stay. He worked and everything. I neva take ahn to be anybody bad or ih neva show me no bad intentions. Ih work, ih have ih family and dah wah honest, nice young man. I no know why anybody woulda want kill ahn or why dehn do that to ahn fah.”
Duane Moody
“You don’t live here but you are here after you head what happened?”
Voice of: Landlord
“Yeah. I just pass through fi come check on the spot and make sure everything straight.”
Reports are that on Saturday, a vehicle was spotted in the area and within were persons asking residents about Orellana’s whereabouts. While that has not been confirmed, police say that they are looking for his roommate for questioning.
ASP Alejandro Cowo
“We understand that he was sharing this room with another male person who police is looking for at this moment to assist us in this investigation. Police also knew that sometime two-thirty to three in the morning, the neighbors called that shots were fired in the immediate area. But upon inspection at the moment, police did not see anything else until the morning that the body was found by a family member.”
While a motive has not been established police are following all angles, including the fact that Orellana is related to Bernadine Lauriano who was one of the victims in a recent murder in the city. Assistant Superintendent Alejandro Cowo explains:
ASP Alejandro Cowo
“Our investigation has also showed us that about a month ago, he had made a complaint where he was assaulted with a firearm by two individuals and police are looking into that matter which involves one of the family members of the other persons called out with the double murder.”
Duane Moody for News Five.
