Health Minister Pablo Marin Shoots and Kill Suspected Burglar
Arkel Matura
There is a lot to cover tonight from the re-opening of the P.G.I.A. to the use of rapid tests coming out of a lengthy press conference with Prime Minister Dean Barrow. We will have all that coming up but we head to Corozal Town where a suspected burglar was shot and killed on Thursday night at around ten o’clock. Police say that Arkel Matura was caught burglarizing the house of Minister Pablo Marin and that the minister first fired a warning shot and then two more when Matura charged at him with a knife. Matura’s body was subsequently found in the adjacent lot. The family claims Matura was shot in the back and the neighbours say they heard three consecutive shots. Marin was questioned this morning at the Corozal Police station and then released. News Five’s Duane Moody was up north and files the following report.
Duane Moody, Reporting
Health Minister Pablo Marin was detained and then released from police custody following a fatal shooting incident at his Corozal home. Marin was awakened by noise coming from the lower flat of his house in the Rainbow Town and that is when he says he came face-to-face with a burglary. Based on the expended shells recovered from the scene, Minister Marin fired three shots; at least one caught Arkel Matura, who was later discovered dead among banana trees in an adjacent lot to the minister’s property.
Supt. Alejandro Cowo, O.C., C.I.B., Eastern Division
“Police received a call about an intruder attempting to enter the residence of Minister Pablo Marin. Upon arrival at that location, police observed the body of a male person who was later identified as Arkel Matura on the outside near a patch of bananas. Apparently, police observed that he had gunshot injuries to his body.”
Chester Williams
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
“When he got on the first floor, he observed that the burglar bar was removed from one of the windows and some louvers were missing. He went outside around the building and when he came back inside on the veranda, he was accosted by a lone individual who was brandishing a knife. Mister Marin said that he ordered the person to put down the knife and the person charged at him. He fired one shot to warn the person and when he did that, the person turned around and stooped down as if he was going to pick up or do something and he subsequently fired two more shots. After having done so, the person got up and jumped over the fence.”
According to residents in the area, the echoes of the blasts rang out just after ten o’clock on Thursday night and within minutes; police arrived at the scene and cordoned off the area. The scene was processed and the body of Matura was discovered later.
Voice of: Neighbour
“Right after the last gunshot, we saw police respond quickly and we saw Pablo Marin came from the side of his house with a gun, so we noticed that it was there that the commotion happened. We saw the police running so we thought the thief or whoever was there escape.”
Officer Commanding the Crime Investigations Branch for the Eastern Division, Superintendent Alejandro Cowo was deployed to Corozal to assist with the investigation. He says that the information so far suggests that Marin fired shots at Matura who charged at him with a knife.
Alejandro Cowo
Supt. Alejandro Cowo
“He heard some noise coming from the lower flat. Upon making checks, he observed a male person who was on the veranda along with some items which are suspected to have been stolen from inside the lower flat of the building. As a result, the person approached Mister Marin with a knife in his hand and in return Mister Marin fired shots with his licensed firearm; unfortunately, causing the fatal injury to Mister Matura.”
Matura’s sister, Julie says that while her brother was known to abuse drugs, she does not know him to be a criminal. Police, however, say that he is no stranger to the law. The family wants to see the surveillance footage that captured the incident because they want justice for Arkel’s death.
Julie Matura
Julie Matura, Sister of Deceased
“Common sense – how one person gwen go do wah robbery and ina di minister house? That dah pass common sense; that dah outta sense. And dehn shot ah when ih mi di run out of the gate. A shot catch ahn ina ih back, back on. I woulda want justice for my lee bredda because that pain wi ina wi heart. My bredda mi deh pan lee drugs and thing yes, [but] he dah mi wah honest person. I don’t know him like a robbery—someone weh bruk into people house and go thief people thing.”
Commissioner of Police Chester Williams confirmed this evening that Minister Marin has since been released and that the investigative file will be forwarded to the Director of Public Prosecutions for a directive.
Chester Williams
“Mister Marin was taken into custody; he was interviewed and subsequently released pending further directive from the Director of Public Prosecution with respect to this matter.”
Duane Moody
“Self defense sir?”
Pablo Marin
Supt. Alejandro Cowo
“Well we have to look at the interview or the statement after its conclusion and determine if it is self defense or not, but it is something that the police is investigating.”
Duane Moody
“But sir, they would say that a dead man tells no tale; the only other person involved in it is dead.”
Supt. Alejandro Cowo
“Yes I understand, but police is conducting an investigation and whichever direction it points, then the police will take action.”
A knife was recovered from the scene. Duane Moody for News Five.
