Shopkeeper Killed in Belmopan!
Abel Bardalez
A shopkeeper in Belmopan was shot and killed after he tried to fight off a robber. The deadly incident happened last Friday in the Maya Mopan area. Abel Bardalez was inside his shop along with two deliverymen when the robber tried to hold them up. Bardalez didn’t comply with the thief’s orders and he pursued him from outside of the business. The fatal shooting was captured on surveillance footage. Police say that they don’t have a named suspect, but they are seeking someone for questioning. News Five went to the Capital City today and here’s the story.
Andrea Polanco, Reporting
Surveillance cameras captured the shooting murder of fifty-three-year-old shopkeeper Abel Bardalez that happened Friday evening on Belen Street in Maya Mopan community in Belmopan. This video shows a Big-H delivery truck outside of Bardalez’s shop around three-thirty-eight that evening – the two delivery men enter the shop. Shortly after, a man walks up – wearing what appears to be a blue sweater, a face-mask and a hat and he too enters the shop. The camera from inside shows that the robber pulled out a gun on Bardalez, but the shopkeeper didn’t give in – instead, he fought off the robber – chased him outside and that’s where his pursuit turned deadly – the killer shot Bardalez in the abdomen. This camera shows an injured and bleeding Baldarez running away – and then he collapsed and died. ACP Joseph Myvett explains what happened inside the shop – where Bardalez received the first gunshot wound.
ACP Joseph Myvett, Head, National Crimes Investigation Branch
“A dark complexion man, armed with a handgun, entered and demanded money of those persons. In the process a struggle ensued between the assailant and Bardalez where a shot was discharged hitting Bardalez. The assailant then left area running and was followed by Bardalez and in the process he turned and fired upon Bardalez a second time – causing the fatal injury.”
An emotional Hershel Bardalez says that his family is mourning his father – who was a father figure to many in the neighborhood. He believes his dad may not have been the target of the robbery that day. Hershel Bardalez tells us that he is angry that his father was killed defending his property – a heroic act in his last moments.
Hershel Bardalez
Hershel Bardalez, Son of the Deceased
“All ah we sad and upset. We never expect my pa fi gone down like that. He went down like a warrior because my pa fight for everything he had and he gone down as a warrior like he always was. He helped a lot of people and a lot of people respect him and everybody saw him as a father figure so I choose to believe the target dah neva him and the target dah mi the two bwai from Big H. A lot of people comment and say that oh he neva fi fight fi the shop but deh nuh know the reason why – my pa worked hard to get what he wanted and on top of that my sister was in there and I know that he fight to defend my sister because he know if the bally come in deh he mi could hurt my sister. So, he gone the defend my sister, as well as deh two bally from Big-H. He gone down a hero inna my book.”
ACP Joseph Myvett cautions unarmed business owners about facing off with these robbers and killers – he says it may be safer just to report the incident after it happens.
Joseph Myvett
ACP Joseph Myvett
“It is advisable if you are not in possession of a weapon to defend yourself that the most convenient thing to have done was to allow – if there is no way you can defend yourself out of that – is to allow the person and then you call the police.”
Reporter
“What do you mean by allow, sir?”
ACP Joseph Myvett
“Meaning that if a robber is pointing a gun at you and you are not in a position to defend yourself because you do not have a gun, then you must allow that process in order not to be harmed and if you do not see the opportunity that you can disarm that person then the investigation will be carried on after than once you would have made a report.”
Police say that they are looking for one suspect in connection with this murder. They are also trying to determine the value of the items stolen. Reporting for News Five, I’m Andrea Polanco.
