Woman Chained Up and Dies in San Pedro; Police Investigating
Nicole Polonio
There is a bizarre story coming out of the island town of San Pedro where a mother of five died after being bound and restrained with chains for days. Nicole Polonio was discovered on Saturday morning dead inside her room and now, a death investigation is ongoing by police in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye. News Five has confirmed that a case file has been sent to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions to determine who, if anybody is culpable for her death. News Five’s Duane Moody reports.
Duane Moody, Reporting
The circumstances under which thirty-four-year-old Nicole Polonio died inside her home on January twenty-eighth are unthinkable, to say the least. Days ahead of her demise, reports surfaced that she may have had a mental health crisis or mental breakdown – she was spotted partially nude a few blocks away from her residence on January twenty-second. But what happened later was shocking.
Voice of: Neighbour/Friend of Deceased
Voice of: Neighbour/Friend of Deceased
“Nicole dah somebody weh full ah life. So when she mi di act like that, first I mi think dah wah joke. And I jump on my cart and I follow her to her house. When I reach deh, the sister said I done call the police already yo know. I said okay then, I gwen. I gone back again the Monday because dah my friend. When I gone back there, Nicole mi want come out through the window. So I tell ahn Nicole relax; just behave yoself. If yo behave, dehn wah let yo out. When I reach deh di Tuesday around 11:30, I bust ina di house. When I bust ina di house, Nicole mi chain up – her hand and her foot. I was shocked. I was like release her. That was the first thing that come to my mouth. Like God, please release her; make we try do something. Noh just chain her up soh.”
The relatives, with whom Polonio lived, bound her by the hands and feet using chains and padlocks. Her niece Ashley Sanders, hearing of what was happening to her aunt, rushed to the house to find Polonio restrained with chains by the neck as well.
Voice of: Ashley Sanders
Voice of: Ashley Sanders, Niece of Deceased
“I asked where are the cameras because this just look unrealistic. You know tell me this is a joke. And they look pan me and say no it is not; it’s real. And I was like if it is real, then I hope you know that this is illegal because you have her chained up against her will. This is against her human rights. When I walked in, it was just her feet chained to the bed with padlock and then her hands were chained up, up. And she just mi di scream, she mi even hoarse; her lips mi look white, she just mi look malnourish – I mi just literally look like a movie scene, like a kidnapping. They said she was a threat to herself and others around her. I just broke down and I cry and dehn just watch me ina di next room and tell me I just don’t understand. There is nothing to understand. This is wrong.”
The police were called in; several attempts were made to assist Polonio who was obviously in distress inside the home, but to no avail.
Voice of: Neighbour/Friend of Deceased
“Let’s go ker ahn dah public clinic so we could give ahn an injection make she relax. I done ker ahn dah public clinic. Weh dehn give you deh? Dehn give me pills. I say, nut this noh sound normal. I tell ahn I could go talk to Nicole through the window? She say yes, if you feel like. So I gone and open the window. And Nicole tell me, [bleep] yo see how dehn have me chain up like chicken? Please go talk to mi pa? Call police fi make dehn release me. I noh bathe three days, I noh drink water three days and I want make dehn release me.”
Voice of: Ashley Sanders
“I offered the help; that dah weh hurt me even more. I kept asking and kept asking if I could bring a private doctor, if I could just let me help. They refused the help.”
Duane Moody
“…and now she is dead.”
Voice of: Ashley Sanders
“And now she is dead.”
On Saturday morning, Polonio was discovered dead inside her room, sources say with bruises all over her body. A post-mortem examination conducted on the body indicates that she died from positional asphyxia. This occurs when a person is placed in a posture that prevents or impedes the mechanism of normal breathing.
Voice of: Ashley Sanders
“I can’t say that they intentionally killed her. I have no idea beucase only dehn mi deh ina di room. And while I was there, I neva see anything horrendous cause I would have stepped in because that would be crossing the line. So I can’t speak to what I didn’t see in the room, but what I did see was enough to know that it mi wrong.”
Relatives and friends say that Polonio was not known to have been diagnosed with any mental health issue, but believe that the action taken by the family was wrong and may have cost Polonio her life.
Duane Moody
“You’re her friend. At any point did you know that she had maybe a mental health issue or anything like that?”
Voice of: Neighbour/Friend of Deceased
“Nicole and I were going to the gym and Nicole was okay. If Nicole had any mental health issue, why did she pay her trainer a whole month fee? That sound like somebody weh have mental issues to you?”
Duane Moody
“You know your auntie to be diagnosed with any mental health issue?”
Voice of: Ashley Sanders
“Never, never. And even that, I mi di try fi implement and say we can’t diagnose her as crazy. I mean a doctor should be the one to do that. We can’t just label her like crazy and start treating her that way. And even a crazy person deserve tob e treated that way. She neva die from a gunshot or from somebody just heartless. It touchy because dah wah family issue.”
Polonio leaves behind five children ages fifteen to three years. The police are investigating and have since handed over the case file to the D.P.P.’s Office to determine, if any, who is responsible for her death. Duane Moody for News Five.
