Taiwanese Businessman Killed Inside His Camalote Store

Sixty-two-year-old Taiwanese national Ching-Sung Chen was killed inside his store in Camalote, Cayo.  He was sound asleep but woken by robbers who had entered E-Star Store through a window on the lower flat of his property. There were two armed robbers, one opened fire on the businessman hitting him as many as four for times.  His son rushed downstairs, but his father had been fatally wounded. News Five’s Duane Moody reports.  

Duane Moody, Reporting

The Belize Chinese Association is issuing a reward for information leading to an arrest as well as a conviction for the murders of Belizean businessmen of Chinese descent. It’s a initiative that is expected to assist the police department as they investigate the most recent killing of Ching-Sung Chen at E-Star Store in Camalote Village, Cayo District. Ching-Sung was sleeping inside his store on the lower flat on Sunday morning. He woke up to see two masked men robbing his establishment. One of the burglars fired several shots at the businessman; he was struck four times to the head, arm and chest and died on the spot.

Joseph Myvett

ACP Joseph Myvett, Head, National Crimes Investigation Branch

“On Sunday shortly after one-thirty a.m., police were called to E-Star Store in Camalote Village, where upon arrival they observed the motionless body of Ching-Sung, sixty-two years Taiwanese national on the lower flat inside the store. What we know so far is that Mister Sung was inside his store which was locked up when shortly before one-thirty a.m., he heard some noises within the store and when he got up to inquire, that was when two masked assailants who were armed, fired upon him causing the fatal injuries.”

Ching-Sung’s family was also asleep on the upper flat when the thieves gained access to the store from an unsecured window to the rear of the building. Hearing the shots, Bing Chen says he ran downstairs to see the thieves rummaging through the cash register. They then escaped, with an undisclosed amount of money, through bushes to the back of the building. Bing then realized that his father had been killed.

Voice off: Bing Chen, Son of Deceased

“We were sleeping and we heard the gunshot and my dad was screaming. We hurry and turn on the lights and we saw two robbers right by the cashier. We tried to stop them and they point the guns to us and we told them go away, go away. Less than five minutes and they gone. Then we hurry and called police. When I got down, I saw my dad, he was on the spot and he is dying.”

Reporter

“How much shot he get?”

Voice off: Bing Chen

“Four shots he get. One of the left hand, one on the left head and two pan di chest/back.”

Assistant Commissioner of Police Joseph Myvett says that there were no surveillance cameras in the area or at the establishment. While they got a description of the perps, their identities are unknown. Investigators are canvassing the area for leads in this latest homicide.

ACP Joseph Myvett

“We have commenced a thorough investigation into this matter. So far, we do not have any suspects but we are following several leads at this time. We do believe the motive was robbery and as I said, officers have been on the ground from the receipt of the information and they are still out there gathering information and conducting searches.”

Duane Moody for News Five.