3 Weekend Murders: Daniel Guardado Executed on Partridge

Daniel Guardado

In Belize City, the murder count went up by two over the weekend and now stands at more than thirty. According to police an alarming sixty-six homicides have been recorded countrywide since the start of the year, which means that as much as fifty percent has taken place in the Old Capital.  Two residents, a mechanic and cabbie were murdered within hours of each other and in the same area despite constant police presence. After leaving his place of work on Saturday night, Daniel Guardado planned to socialize with friends over a smoke. But that never happened as the life of the mechanic was cut short on Partridge Street Extension as he pushed his motorcycle. He was ambushed by a gunman who remains at large. News’s Five’s Isani Cayetano has the following report.

Isani Cayetano, Reporting

Daniel Guardado, a mechanic of the Gungulung area in Belize City, left this auto shop on Tibruce Street sometime on Saturday evening, while hanging out with a few friends.  He was on his way to purchase some fronto leaves to roll a catch of marijuana and gave his word that he would return shortly thereafter to share a smoke with them.  That was the last they would see or hear from him, until Sydney Fermin received a troubling phone call that Guardado had been fatally shot not too far away on Partridge Street Extension.

Sydney Fermin

Sydney Fermin, Friend of Deceased

“Dehn call we and tell we cause Beto mi gaan out.  Beto neva deh home.  Dehn call my lee nephew and I tek di phone from ahn and I, cause dah some people from back ya call fu he phone and tell he dat how he mi dead and I call Beto and I tell ahn.  And da soh dehn find out and da soh dehn call we back and tell we dat how he dead.”

The other man Fermin refers to as Beto, is Guadardo’s friend.  They were both very close.  According to residents in the immediate vicinity of the shooting, Guardado was pushing his motorcycle along the backstreet when he was accosted by someone who fired as many as five shots in his direction.  The shooter reportedly discharged his weapon three more times in the process of fleeing the scene.

Alejandro Cowo

ASP Alejandro Cowo, O.C., C.I.B., Eastern Division

“Sometime after nine p.m., police responded to shots fired at Partridge Street Extension and as a result, police visited that location.  And just on the street side, police were able to observe the motionless body of a male person that was lying on the street side beside a motorcycle.  The person was identified as Daniel Guardado, a Belizean of the Gungulung area.  What police gathered so far is that Mr. Guardado was pushing his motorcycle in that area when he was approached by a male person on bicycle who fired several shots in his direction, causing the fatal injuries.”

As a repairman, Guardardo often freelanced around the city, shuttling to and from Belmopan as the need arose.

Sydney Fermin

“Saturday evening he cohn ya, di evening and he cohn and heng out and everything before ih gaan from ya and then from deh ih tell we ih gwein home, and then afta dat da then dehn kill ahn.  Saturday night.”

Isani Cayetano

“Do you know how long he’s been working here, where his family members are, anything like that?”

Sydney Fermin

“Well backa Gungulung side because da back deh ih live and ting.  Da back deh ih use to live.”

A police investigation is underway, despite no suspects being taken in for the senseless murder.

ASP Alejandro Cowo

“So far police are looking for one person that will assist us in this investigation.”

Reporter

“Sir, persons we’ve spoken to suggest very strongly that this gentleman was a working man, he had nothing to do with the streets and that he was killed innocently.  Is this similar to what police are getting as well?”

ASP Alejandro Cowo

“We understand that he was a mechanic and he worked at a mechanic shop not far from where he was shot.  Originally, he is from the Belmopan area but he only does work here in Belize City and goes back to Belmopan.”

Reporter

“Do police know what caused or why this shooter targeted this gentleman sir?”

ASP Alejandro Cowo

“Suggestion in the area is that it’s a random, senseless shooting.  That is the angle that we are looking [at] and that is what the investigation is pointing at this moment.”

Reporting for News Five, I am Isani Cayetano.