In St. Matthew’s, Cayo, Determined Killer Pursued Roni Casasola
Roni Casasola
In the wee hours of Sunday, the third murder in a period of twenty-four hours was recorded, this time in Saint Matthews Village in the Cayo District. Nineteen-year-old Roni Casasola was shot to the chest shortly after midnight and died before he could get to the Western Regional Hospital. His mother was with him when three men from the village approached him and one opened fire. By mid-afternoon today, police arrested and charged twenty-one-year-old construction worker, Dean Glenford Galvez, for Casasola’s murder. News Five’s Duane Moody reports.
Duane Moody, Reporting
Just after midnight on Saturday, several shots rang out in Saint Matthews Village off the George Price Highway, claiming the life of a nineteen-year-old resident. According to police, Roni Omar Casasola got into an altercation with another person after socializing at a bar in the village. As he made his way home, he was ambushed and shot dead.
Alejandro Cowo
ASP Alejandro Cowo, O.C., C.I.B., Eastern Division
“Just after midnight Roaring Creek police visited the Saint Matthews Village and upon visiting an unnamed street in the village, they observed the motionless body of a male person on the street side. That male person, we understand that he was at a bar in the village when he had an argument with a male person. And as a result, the person who he had the argument with, followed him whilst he came out of the bar and thereafter fired several shots at his direction.”
Elvira Casasola
Elvira Casasola, Mother of Murder Victim
“He was out a lee bit and round by the Prodigal Bar and I gone look for him and I bring him home and the same time that I di bring him home, them guys come through this lane here and the boys were drunk and under drugs—I guess—and it is really bad because they neva shoulda kill my baby like that; they neva shoulda take my pikney away from me, noh that way.”
According to Olivia, she went looking for Roni and was bringing him home. As they neared their house, three persons—one wielding a gun—approached from the opposite direction before opening fire. Roni was hit once to the center of his chest and collapsed a few feet away near their garden of flowers.
Elvira Casasola
“The boy shoot five times but only two of them—I think dah two of them catch my baby—and one catch him in the chest and that’s it. By the time we di rush him to hospital, he dead. He neva reach to hospital alive.”
Reporter
“So you were with him by his side when you began to shoot him?”
Elvira Casasola
“Yes, the bwai come through this lane so and they start. I don’t know how to explain how they start, but they just run against them and then my boys and my daughter-in-laws were with me and all ah we start to run against them with stone to try to defend ourselves.”
Duane Moody
“So luckily you didn’t get shot as well…”
Elvira Casasola
“Yes, everybody. I think more than one person could have died the same time, but God is big. But ih can’t save my boy.”
Dean Glenford Galvez
Earlier today, police charged twenty-one-year-old Dean Glenford Galvez, who is also from Saint Matthews Village, for the murder of Roni. His mother says she is still in disbelief that her eldest son was killed right in front of her.
Elvira Casasola
“With my other son dehn mi had wah misunderstanding before that. But I think not supposed to be the way to reach like that. I neva think it mi wah reach so far. But they have so many people around this village that work with drugs and dehn like—how to say—they put things ina dehn lee bwai head fi make dehn deal with drugs and so maybe dah that. Two of them are dem lee bwais weh I see the way how they grow up; they are from the village. The other one noh so long to know him cause he dah from Roaring Creek.”
Duane Moody
“So you would say your son was killed from persons he knew?”
Elvira Casasola
“Yes.”
Duane Moody for News Five.
Twenty-one-year-old Dean Galvez will be arraigned on Tuesday in Belmopan.
