Construction magnate Oscar Rosado Senior killed in own shop

Oscar Rosado

There was a brazen midday murder in the City today. A well-known elderly businessman who had been targeted twice before unfortunately did not survive the latest attack on his life. Before one-o’clock today, Oscar Rosado Senior was shot and killed at his business, Rosado’s Construction Supply located on Cemetery Road. His wife says that a trio walked into the store, bought two pounds of nails and returned within minutes, this time with the obvious intent of committing a robbery. His wife, Elena was held up and attempted to alert Rosado Senior. But a shot to the forehead would end the life of the seventy-year old businessman. Before fleeing as many as seventeen shots were fired by the gunmen who remain at large. Oscar Rosado Junior was inside the office when the first shots were fired. News Five’s Isani Cayetano reports.

Isani Cayetano, Reporting

A seventy-year-old businessman, well-known in Belize City as proprietor of Rosado’s Construction Supply, was shot and killed at his place of work earlier today.  Oscar Rosado Sr., along with his wife Elena, his son Oscar Jr. and several employees were all busy on the compound around midday when a trio of young men pretending to be customers walked into the store on Cemetery Road.

Elena Rosado, Wife of Deceased

“Three young men come eena di shop and they said they wanted two pound of nails.  So I tell one of the workmen please get the nails.  Ih pay me with wahn ten dollars [and] I give him his change and dehn gone.  But before dehn go dehn di look behind where I have a little table there with my phone and my son’s phone was there and some biscuits.  Sometimes I sit down there and have lunch and I tell the young man, “Jevon”, dah soh di young man name.  I tell ahn, “Jevon, I noh think dehn young man ya wahn no nail you know, dehn di look fi thief.”  As I sih dehn, because that da one thing with me, once I sih you, I wahn know if you da wahn thief or if you da noh wahn thief.”

Her hunch that the young men were there to rob the business was spot-on.  After scouting the perimeter they returned several minutes later and re-entered the store, this time the plan to hold up the place was in effect.

Elena Rosado

“Four minutes afterwards, dehn come een and dehn tell me dah nail dah noh di size weh dehn want and dehn tek it outta di bag.  So di same young man come, Jevon, and ih hold di nails and ih cohn change it, but then di one weh pay me, he di stand up and I sih he di put, because we deh face to face, I sih he di put ih hand eena ih pocket and when I sih he di try put ih hand eena ih pocket I seh dis da gun.  So I move from round, di young man bring di nail and ih give it to him and he was watching di nail.  So I move from behind di counter and I di look fi come outside, my husband was standing by the door.”

Despite Elena’s attempt to alert her husband, his attention was focused squarely on preparing a delivery of construction material.  By the time he realized what was taking place a weapon had already been produced.

Elena Rosado

“When I start to walk farther now, the young man come and he hold me and he di point di gun at me and my husband deh by di door and so my husband tell ahn, I di come towards my husband because I seh I wahn run.  But then my husband tell he leff she lone and he tell my husband, ih seh shet di eff up and ih tell ahn gimme di gun, gimme di gun and ih di do ih hand so.  Ih tell my husband fi give ahn di gun, so my husband tell ahn, “What’s wrong with you?” And my husband, with ih two hand ih hold ahn and push ahn and when he push ahn now, he gaan one side like he di look fi drop pan toppa dehn Coke crate deh and full Coke and da soh he let go di shot and my husband drop.  My husband drop pan di side now because he give ahn di bullet through ih forehead.  So now when I sih my husband drop I seh well da dead ih dead because I sih blood pan ih head, pan ih face and di bwai still bend down and search my husband and he neva tek my husband gun, di only thing weh he tek dah ih wallet.”

Hearing the commotion outside of the office, Oscar Junior came out to see what was going on.  What he witnessed was harrowing.

Elena Rosado

“My son come out from di office because ih mi di do some paperwork and I holla and tell my son, “please run back! Please run back!”  And so di young man di point di gun on my son, Oscar Junior.  He point di gun afta Oscar Junior and dah so Osacar seh, I come out because I hyah gunshot and I tell ahn run da back.  But then by when I tell ahn run da back, di young man done got di gun di point at he now and then Oscar Junior throw ihself down behind di counter and da soh di young man run.  And as ih run out he di let go wahn lotta shots out deh.  I hyah bout ten shots.  I think my husband get two shots pan ih forehead.”

It is the third attack on the family business which was established here on Cemetery Road in the mid-nineties.  In 1999, Oscar Rosado was shot in the back during an armed robbery.  In May 2006, he fired at three assailants who attempted to hold up the store.

(File: May 29th, 2006) Oscar Rosado Sr., Proprietor, Rosado’s Hardware

“When the third one walked in, I saw when he brought down his hat and was pulling his gun.  I always have my licensed thirty-eight special with me.  And when I saw that and I hurriedly took out my gun and fired a warning shot at them.”

Unfortunately, this time the elderly Rosado would not be as quick on the draw.  His wife is understandably angry.

Elena Rosado

“Eena 1999, dehn hold we up and he get shot and he neva dead and I send di news and tell di government, I noh remember weh government mi eena power and I noh mind which government, I just wahn dehn start to heng dehn bwai and I tell dehn please, if you want I noh have to charge dehn nothing, just ker dehn out da Central Park deh and I could do di killing fu dehn, you undastand me.  Because if I mi fu get my hands pan dis bwai ya, I noh wahn shot ahn yoh undastand me.”

News Five understands that the fleeing robbers came into contact with police officers in the area and as many as seventeen spent shells were recovered from the scene of the shooting.  The trio escaped on foot by running into the nearby Lord Ridge Cemetery.  In an interview Rosado granted in 2006, he too spoke about the shortcomings of law enforcement and the criminal justice system.

(File: May 29th, 2006) Oscar Rosado

“I think the police work hard and everything but when they go to court, they [the suspects] are free next day, so something is wrong.  I don’t know what is wrong, but something is wrong.  When they go to court two, three days and you see them out there again doing the same thing.”

Isani Cayetano reporting for News Five.