A Chopping Spree in Silk Grass Ends With the Deadly Beating of Alleged Attacker
Rene Godoy
Did vigilante justice end the life of a Silk Grass resident? Or did authorities go overboard restraining a seemingly high and angry man? Tonight the family of Rene Godoy says that residents beat him up and police may have had a hand it. According to the family, Godoy frequently consumes alcohol and at times he goes into a rage and attack people around him. It appears that is what happened sometime last night and early this morning. Godoy reportedly chopped three persons in the village and destroyed their property, before he was hauled in by police. He died this morning in the police truck inside the compound of the Southern Regional Hospital. News Five’s Andrea Polanco went south today and files the following report on the deadly incident in Silk Grass Village, Stann Creek.
Andrea Polanco, Reporting
A wild night of chopping in Silk Grass Village ended with thirty-two-year-old Rene Godoy dead. And today his family is pointing fingers at residents and the police. Sometime between eleven and 1:30 this morning, Godoy was reportedly armed with a machete and encountered his first victim 32 year old Rudy Monterroso who was walking along this road in the village. He says he narrowly escaped with his life after he was chopped to the left ear and side of the neck.
Rudy Monterroso
Rudy Monterroso, Chopping Victim
“He hit me with the machete and I ran over there asking for help and my brother took me to the hospital. That is the only thing I know because I think the guy is on drugs or drunk. I don’t know him nor did I do anything to him.”
Andrea Polanco
“Do you feel lucky to be alive today?”
Rudy Monterroso
“Oh, yeah! Thank God I am alive because last night I felt like I almost passed out.”
Godoy then came to this house and broke his way inside where single mother Sonia Olivas and her two young children were asleep. According to Olivas, Godoy is a close friend, but early this morning he rushed at her with a machete to chop her up. But she says saw Godoy earlier that night when he stopped in at her house but she sent him on way and never expected he would return to attack her. Olivas, also narrowly escaped with her life, but not before Godoy hit her in the chest and her arms – as these injuries show how she fought for her life. He later ran out into this street where he charged at Olivas’ father, who luckily escaped, but lost a finger in the machete assault.. She recounts the frightening ordeal.
Sonia Olivas
Sonia Olivas, Chopping Victim
“I nuh know how he opened the door. I just hear when he di slam the door and he di try open the door. He opened the door and he gone inside. I just try to save my pickney and then me and he ketch up inside and we start to fight. He deh with machete and me deh with my hands. We drop on the floor but he neva let go the machete. The he throw the machete to me a lotta times but only one time he ketch me but he ketch mi good, though. My neighbor he come and then he start to make noise right yah and when he hear the noise out here dah so he run outside and I lock the doors and stay inside. I mi di tremble and I mi di cry because I say, wow, he cut me. But I nuh see no blood, I only feel the pain. Nobody hurt him right here. Nobody, nobody hurt him. Like because nobody mi cyaa get close to him because he got the machete. The people just the run suh and run suh – I deh lock up inna the house and I nuh even see when he chop my pa. I nuh see it.”
Godoy left from this area, allegedly unhurt, and then arrived here at this residence in the village where he reportedly climbed these stairs to access the roof of this residence – leaving a bloody trail behind. According to the residents of this house – they were woken up by chopping sounds coming from upstairs and when they checked they saw an injured Godoy chopping the electrical wires from their home. A resident who wishes to appear off camera, shares what he saw.
Voice of: Resident, Silk Grass Village
“We see ah young man up deh suh di chop and lee bit after that the police come. He mi deh up deh and the police deh mi di go after ah and a blocks mi deh up deh and he pick the blocks and bum the police. And the police gone suh inna the car and look like he called fi more back up.”
Andrea Polanco
“So, what was he chopping?”
Voice of: Resident
“The wire up deh.”
Andrea Polanco
“Do you know if any villagers came out – were any villagers restraining him – holding him down?”
Voice of: Resident
“Only me and my cousin hold him down because the police said mek we hold ah down.”
Andrea Polanco
“And you guys didn’t hit him or anything like that?”
Voice of: Resident
“No, ma’am.”
Andrea Polanco
“And it didn’t appear as if anybody else in this area attacked him while he was here?”
Voice of: Resident
“No, ma’am.”
And so police reportedly took Godoy away. But, some reports say that before that, a group of men who were hanging in the area put a beating on Godoy. The residents in the immediate area deny that claim – to say that Godoy was only restrained for police. Godoy’s family, however, alleges that police and residents may be responsible for his death. They say he died in a police truck inside the hospital compound.
Moises Godoy
Moises Godoy, Brother of the Deceased
“Sanchez and the next police beat up my bredda, bad, bad, bad on his face and his mouth.”
Andrea Polanco
“So, you believe the police are the ones who beat him up?”
Moises Godoy
“Yes. I believe that. Right now when I gone dah Hopkins, I tell ah I got three persons who show that the police beat ah when he run down on the steps.”
Sherlette Brooks
Sherlette Brooks, Sister-in-law of the Deceased
“It was four villagers. Two black boys and two Spanish boys who beat him up outside the house where he chopped the wires. They took my bralee to the hospital and a man that was out there said that he was screaming and bawling. They didn’t take him in to see the doctor. A male nurse told me that an accident happened in Placencia and two persons died and one seriously injured, so they didn’t have time to tend to Rene Godoy. He died in the police vehicle.”
Reporting for News Five, I’m Andrea Polanco.
