Belizean Killed in Mexico; Might be Man from Corozal

Ozmond Melendez

This afternoon, News Five spoke with Belize’s Ambassador to Mexico, Oscar Arnold, about the fatal shooting near Cancun on Monday. Arnold says that official details from Mexican authorities have not confirmed the identity of the victim. But here in Belize, the news spread as condolences were offered to a family in Corozal who were reporting their loved one had been killed in neighboring Mexico. He is Ozmond Melendez of San Andres Village. Ambassador Arnold confirmed to News Five that a meeting was held at the border with Melendez’s family today.

Oscar Arnold, Belizean Ambassador to Mexico

“Our consul in Chetumal has been contacted by a family in Corozal and he is having a meeting with those individuals at the border later today that they will present some documentation and some photos so that we can pass on to the police in that area so that they can try to confirm and say for sure that this is the same individual that they have there in their morgue. The incident happened at 9:11, the individual was shot and killed. The exact circumstances for that incident, the official report has not been sent to us. Through our consul in Chetumal, he has been able to confirm that yes the person is of Creole descent. I am also aware that there have been some Facebook posts back home of a family in Corozal who are saying that this individual is their relative and that yes he was killed in that municipality.”

Duane Moody

“In this incident on Monday though, it hasn’t been ascertained whether it was a shootout with police or what have you…”

Oscar Arnold

Oscar Arnold

“The second incident was a shootout with security forces and the first incident like I said; we have not gotten the full details on that. Even though everything is adding up to say that it is a certain individual, I want to say at this point in time that until we receive the documentation from the family and that our consul pass that on to the police in Cancun and for them to match either identifying marks or photographs and so on, then they will confirm in writing that yes this is the individual. From there plans will be made to see when the body can be transported to the border and handed over to the family, but there are some procedures that need to take place prior to this.”