No suspects arrested for Melchor murders

The murder of two Belizeans on the Guatemalan side of the border is under investigation by authorities in Melchor de Mencos. On this side, the cops say they have little information and no motive in the weekend murders. The first victim was from the village of Succotz and the other was from neighbouring Benque Viejo del Carmen. Marion Ali went west today and spoke to family members.

Marion Ali, Reporting
There are still no answers as to why two Belizean men were shot dead in separate incidents over the weekend in neighbouring Melchor de Mencos. The only certainty is the grief the families of the two men are experiencing and trying to cope with. Belarmino Itza and Guleda Teck of San Jose Succotz buried their son on Sunday. Itza said he last saw his son, Rene Teck, around three on Friday afternoon in the village and advised him not to go drinking across the border… but he did, and the twenty-two year old paid with his life.

Belarmino Itza, Father of Deceased
“And every time I talk to him and I tell ah to stop go cross the border noh but maybe he noh want to understand what I tell him. Well, up to that point, that’s the reason I—he went cross the border Friday and never come back.”

Meanwhile, just a couple miles away in Benque Viejo del Carmen, the family of thirty-one year old Noe Sanchez had just buried him when we arrived in that town. Noe was shot dead on Sunday night also at a bar. His brother, Jaime Sanchez, also expressed regret that Noe went socializing across the western border.

Jaime Sanchez, Brother of Deceased
“I hear my bredda get kill eena wah bar right deh and dehn just dreg my bredda like wah dog. And we live close to di riverside and my bredda always cross to dah place right there. Just gone spend a lee time and chill out yoh know. They just gone kill him.”

Marion Ali
“They shot him…”

Jaime Sanchez
“Seven times, wah whole round shot in the head.”

Marion Ali
“Was anything missing? Did he have money on him?”

Jaime Sanchez
“He noh got no money.”

But while Sanchez’ family are at a loss for trying to understand the reason behind his murder, Teck’s family feel the motive of that killing was robbery.

Belarmino Itza
“They tell me they find out where he was drinking and the people that were inside the bar no want to talk. The gials weh work in there only tell them that he gone out and they only hear the shots, six bullet. Maybe they rob him because they find all his pocket out if his…I think that’s the…”

Marion Ali
“He had money on him?”

Berlarmino Itza
“Yeah, usually he get pay every two weeks from the hydro, just collect.”

But while Sanchez’ family were convinced he was killed for money, Benque Viejo police are not so sure.

Inspector Claudio Mai, Ag. O.C, Benque Viejo
“At the moment we are liaisoning with our counterparts in Melchor and trying to get down into the details of this but so far we have not received any information as to the motives of these killings in Melchor.”

Marion Ali
“Those men were socializing at a bar right?”

Insp. Claudio Mai
“I cannot say that, Marion. I feel we do not have the specific details of both incidents. What happen out there is that the police does not go into investigation. They have the public ministry that does the investigation. It is not like us here in Belize that we conduct the investigation of everything. We deal with the body and we do the investigation. It is not so in Guatemala.”

The two men are not the only ones in recent times to be murdered in neighbouring Melchor. In fact, in recent months there have been many reports of attacks and killings of Belizeans while across the border. And this is why Sanchez’ family appeals to western residents to remain within the border while socializing.

Jaime Sanchez
“I appealing to people to mek dehn noh goh there no more because deh Guatemalan people di go on wid we like real strangers. I noh want noh people get no more hurt over dat side. I want mek dehn stay right yah. I noh want no more problem.”

Up to news time there were no reports of any arrests in Melchor for the two killings. Reporting for News Five, Marion Ali.

Last February twenty-sixth another Belizean also from Succotz, was killed in Melchor. His murder also remains unresolved.