Murder in Ranchito, Corozal; Rigoberto Rosado is Shot Multiple Times Inside His Room

Rigoberto Rosado

There was a murder in the village of Ranchito in the Corozal District at the crack of dawn today.  The barking of the dogs at four this morning sounded the alarm that something was awfully wrong.  The murder victim is Rigoberto Rosado who was ambushed by someone he knew well.  The gunman barged inside his house and fired the deadly shots that landed him at the Northern Regional Hospital in Orange Walk where he succumbed. His family is grappling at the loss and looking for answers. News Five’s Duane Moody has the following report.

Duane Moody, Reporting

At the break of dawn today, a fatal shooting incident occurred in the village of Ranchito in the Corozal District. Forty-year-old Rigoberto Rosado was inside his room and was just about to get up to start to prepare his food and get ready for work when a gunman, known to him and his siblings, barged into the house, entered his room and fired up to six shots; four of which caught him on the body.

Voice of: Jaime Rosado, Brother of Deceased [Translated]

“Minutes before four a.m., I heard the dogs barking, but I thought it was my younger brother that was preparing his lunch because he works at Cerros and he always prepares his food and takes lunch. I thought it was that because the dogs always bark, I come out and nothing is wrong. But this time, it was different. Six shots were fired; four caught him and he couldn’t survive the operation and he died. My brother died.”

The gunman then escaped from the residence, but not before the family got a good look at him and recognised him as a resident from the village who also resides in the Belize District, either Ladyville or Burrell Boom, and has had run-ins with the law.

Jaime Rosado

Voice of: Jaime Rosado [Translated]

“I thought it was machete hitting the floor, but later realize that it was shots. I came out and from my window, I saw the person that shot my brother, but I didn’t recognize him. Right yah soh, he walked out. I saw him, but I didn’t recognize him. But my brother and my nephew recognised him and they followed him, but couldn’t catch up to him. They called him out by his name and he turned around. But he escaped.”

An injured Rigoberto collapsed at the entrance to the house; blood stains on the concrete and the mattress are telltale signs that he bled profusely before he was placed in a vehicle and rushed to the Northern Regional Hospital. Unfortunately, he did not survive the attack and died two hours later around six a.m.

The family is perplexed because Rigoberto, was an avid footballer who played with the Calle Ocho team and worked in construction at Cerros. Jaime Rosado says that his brother is not known to have enemies and never complained of his life being threatened.

Voice of: Jaime Rosado [Translated]

“I don’t know why because my younger brother isn’t someone who goes around getting in fights. He leaves home around 5:30 a.m. to go to work at Cerros San on bicycle. He returns home at six in the evening. Saturdays and Sundays, he is always at home. He drinks, but he buys his beers and drinks them in his room. Maybe they confused him with someone else, but as I know, he doesn’t have enemies, he doesn’t get in fights and he is a calm person.”

Duane Moody for News Five.