Businessman murdered at Bachelor Inn
Tuesday night’s murder was followed today by another and residents in the West Landivar area of Belize City are shocked over the bloody murder of a businessman who set up shop about fifteen years ago and opened Bachelor’s Inn Hotel on Bachelor Avenue. Reports are that sometime around three this afternoon four men entered the hotel office on the third floor of the building and accosted the owner, Tsong-Ming Liu, demanding money. But when he did not yield to their orders, things got ugly and the men bludgeoned him to death.
Gilda Leslie, Neighbour
“I was coming home and I heard the screaming and when I heard the screaming—because I live right up the street—when I heard the screaming I said oh my aunt lives here so I went to the building and when I went it was Mr. Ming.”
Marion Ali
“Did you see anybody?”
Gilda Leslie
“I went to my aunt’s room.”
Marion Ali
“Did you see anybody running away?”
Gilda Leslie
“No because I just ran and came straight. I just came to see what happened, my aunt lives here.”
Keith Swift, Channel Seven
“When you knew that your aunt was alright, what did you do?”
Gilda Leslie
“When I hear that happened to Mr. Ming that was when I was shocked. But I’m sorry for the child. He was waiting for them to come and pick him up so he was in a state of shock.”
Lee Mark Chang, President, Belize Chinese Assn.
“The police inform me that they speculate that the robbery took place inside and there was a struggle. A portion of the place was searched around and I think they say they have one suspect detained already.”
Marion Ali
“Are there things stolen?”
Lee Mark Chang
“Presumably, yes there is some money missing.”
Keith Swift
“Do you now how much?”
Lee Mark Chang
“I can’t disclose that figure right now.”
Keith Swift
“When you saw the body, what were the injuries?”
Lee Mark Chang
“I was made to understand that there was a cut to the neck, a stab to the chest.”
Marion Ali
“None of these guys worked for the owner?”
Lee Mark Chang
“I am not too sure about that.”
Renee Nunez, Journalist
“What about the weapon? Any weapon, any idea what kind of weapon was used?”
Lee Mark Chang
“It was a knife or something like that.”
Renee Nunez
“Any evidence of a knife inside of the …”
Lee Mark Chang
“Nothing inside.”
Keith Swift
“Did you know the victim Mr. Lee?”
Lee Mark Chang
“Yes, I know them a little bit.”
Marion Ali
“What kind of person was he?”
Lee Mark Chang
“A quiet businessman. He was not really sociable outside but he took care of his and the family.”
Witnesses say they saw two men running away from the scene shortly after they heard screams coming from the building. The men reportedly ran towards the Dolphin Park not far away from Bachelor Avenue. A police mobile later picked up two others. Up to news time those men were still in custody and cops were still looking for the other two.
Liu’s young son was at school when police went to notify him of the incident. He was the only one who lived with his father at the location for the time being, since his mother had gone away for a year to study. This evening the Chinese community took the teen to another location where he will remain until his mother returns.
News Five has learnt that this was not the first time that Bachelor Inn Hotel was targeted for robbery as only last year a Japanese customer was held up and robbed at the business establishment.
