Denmark Casimiro is Killed in Sandhill; was it Drug Related?
A father of two was executed on Sunday morning in Sandhill Village. Residents in the village told News Five that they heard Denmark Casimiro and another man arguing inside his house that morning before gun shots rang out. Today, Casimiro’s family says they have received numerous reports that he was killed over a tattoo machine. They say that Casimiro and one of his friends had a falling out over another matter and that aggravated the situation with the tattoo machine. The machine belonged to the friend and he went looking for it last week and made threats and by Sunday morning Casimiro was dead. Police, however, have a different take on the murder. They believe it was drug related and are looking for one suspect. Reporter Andrea Polanco went to Sandhill to find out more. Here’s that story.
Andrea Polanco, Reporting
Forty-one-year-old Denmark Casimiro was shot and killed inside his home in Sand Hill Village on Sunday morning. Residents say that sometime around five-thirty that morning they heard an argument coming from inside Casimiro’s house and shortly after they heard two gun shots. Casimiro was reportedly threatened just days before he was killed.
Jeovanni Casimiro
Jeovanni Casimiro, Brother of Deceased
“They said that he had an argument with someone earlier in the week about the person tell ah if he nuh got fi he thing when he come back, he was going to kill him. So, he probably really neva tek it serious. So, the Saturday morning when he was either going out or coming in, the person look like he was dodging him so when he went into his house, the person moved in right behind him. The neighbours said that they heard a little argument – the person said, ‘bwai yuh got my thing and my bredda said, ‘well bwai yuh haffi deal…’ and then they heard the first gunshot and then they heard another gunshot. And that is what happened.”
Andrea Polanco
“So you guys believe it is the same person who threatened him earlier in the week who returned to [kill him]?”
Jeovanni Casimiro
“Well, we believe that is what happened. That is what we heard.”
Police say that when they arrived on the scene almost two hours later, they found the door of Casimiro’s house open. Casimiro was found with two gunshot wounds – one to the head and the other to chest – he was already dead inside his bedroom. Casimiro spent about ten years behind bars on drug charges – he was released about two years ago and ever since then he had been living in Sand Hill. But his family says that they don’t think his past caught up with him. And while they initially heard that his murder may have been drug related – they no longer think that is the cause because they received multiple reports that Denmark was killed over a tattoo machine.
Jeovanni Casimiro
“They said the confrontation that happened was over a tattoo machine.”
Andrea Polanco
“And you never saw your brother with any tattoo machine or he never mentioned it?”
Jeovanni Casimiro
“Well, the tattoo machine was in the house. When the police left they told us to go through it and so when we were packing his stuff we came across a little orange box and when we opened it a tattoo machine was in there. He neva had no set job from nine to five based pahn weh he had the record so it was kinda hard for him to get a job so he did his lee hustling on the side.”
Andrea Polanco
“And you don’t think that record – his past has any connection to what happened?”
Jeovanni Casimiro
“Well, that was the first assumption that his past caught up with him but then we heard talking that it is over a tattoo machine, so we ruled that out.”
Andrea Polanco
“This person – perhaps they knew each other well – they were friends?”
Jeovanni Casimiro
“Well, from what we di gather, yes they did. They used to hang and thing until the misunderstanding happen. We want justice because if dah off ah wah tattoo machine, mien, come on. That is just ridiculous. Wah tattoo machine, mien. That dah nothing fi kill somebody fah. Wah tattoo machine. That dah pass the mark.”
While the family is leaning towards the theory that Casimiro was killed because of the tattoo machine – police say they suspect that the killing was drug related.
ASP Alejandro Cowo, O.C., C.I.B., Belize City
“There was no sign of forced entry at the residence. We suspect that he was in the company of another male person for whom police are looking for at this moment.”
Andrea Polanco
“Sir, is there anything as to the motive?”
Alejandro Cowo
ASP Alejandro Cowo
“We suspect it is drug related.”
Andrea Polanco
“His family is saying that they don’t believe that his past has anything to do with what happened – but they are saying that he may have had a tattoo machine that belonged to someone else. Are you able to shed any light on that angle?”
ASP Alejandro Cowo
“Based on the information that we are getting and the investigation is pointing out that this was some kind of drug related incident that happened there.”
Reporting for News Five, I’m Andrea Polanco.
