Saturday Night Murder in Cotton Tree Village

Police are investigating the murder of thirty-eight-year-old Randulfo Alvarez, a resident of Cotton Tree Village. Alvarez lived in the village with his relatives and, though he and his siblings resided in separate households, their relationship was such that they would frequent each other’s home. On Saturday night when Alvarez visited his sister’s home to collect some money, he reportedly learned that she was at church. He was gunned down moment later, a short distance away. His murder has left his family with a lot of questions because, based on their account, Alvarez was a father, an athlete, and a provider to his two sons. They did not know him to be a trouble maker. News Five’s Paul Lopez reports.

A family in Cotton Tree Village is still in shock, following the murder of one of their relatives on Saturday night. Thirty-eight-year-old Randulfo Alvarez, also known as Diablo, was gunned down while paying a visit to his sister. Family members were gathered at his mother’s home this morning. There, we spoke with a cousin, Saira Alvarez, who says Randulfo was no mischief maker.

Saira Alvarez, Cousin of Deceased

 “We actually grew up together. My parent grew up with his parents so we were always playing dancing when we were kids. He was a great football player. He was called “El Diablo” on the field. He didn’t like any trouble. He use to work for his sister’s husband, so he wanted to collect some money from him. But, they weren’t there. They were at church. So I heard as he got there and realized there were no one he turned back to go back home and that was where the shot him.”

Alvarez’s assailant shot him only a short distance from his sister’s home, in front of a nearby yard. Alvarez was commuting on his motorbike. His attacker left the motorbike behind, along with Alvarez’s other belongings. The owner of the adjacent property told us that he was not at home on Saturday night, but the bullet holes on a nearby tree and the dirt road tell their own tale.  Saira Alvarez believes the shooter ambushed her brother.

Saira Alvarez, Cousin of Deceased

“We believe so because a lot of people had passed that area accordingto the people, a lot of people were coming back from church and didn’t see anything. Automatically as he passed they shot him. So, we believe somebody was waiting for him, but we don’t know who.”

Paul Lopez

“How many times they shot him?”

Saira Alvarez, Cousin of Deceased

“Four,  to the front. The one that killed him was the one to the forehead.”

Paul Lopez

“So, you would imagine he may have seen his shooter?”

Saira Alvarez, Cousin of Deceased

“I guess so, and then I believe was a strong person because when he was shot he still survived three hours after that. So, I believe he must have had a chance to fight him a little bit.”

Alvarez leaves behind two sons. He was also in the process of adopting a child from the King’s Children home. His murder has left family members in fear, because while police are investigating, Alvarez’s killer remains on the loose.

Saira Alvarez, Cousin of Deceased

“We are a little bit scared because things like this don’t happen in the village. I personally don’t go out at night, but then now I am a little bit scared. I was here with the family lasting and I had to walk back home, so I was a little bit worried but I got a ride back home. I actually live close to him”

ASP Fitzroy Yearwood, Communications Director, Belize Police Department

“We haven’t identified any assailant as yet, specific assailant, but several persons have been questioned. Police have detained several persons. But, so far we haven’t made any arrest in this recent murder. What the investigators have revealed to me so far, it is a dark area. We do have some challenges, but we know that it is a close knit family area. Hopefully someone will give us something that would help us to bring some closure to the family.”

Saira Alvarez had this to say to her cousin’s killer.

“I would like to know why, because so many crazy people out there, we would like to know if they was a strong reason for doing so, because taking a life, you would never recover a life back. So we would like to know why he would do it. I am guessing it was a man. I would like to assume it was a man.”

Reporting for News Five I am Paul Lopez.