Progresso Family Prepares to Bury Woman Stabbed to Death by Sister-in- law
Rosita Olivera
Police are yet to charge Daisy Lopez detained since Monday for the stabbing death of fifty-two-year-old Rosita Olivera, a resident of Progresso Village in Corozal District. Police confirmed that Lopez was in an altercation with her common-law husband who is Olivera’s younger brother, when the deceased woman stepped in and ended up being stabbed multiple times. Despite efforts to rush her to the hospital, Olivera succumbed to her injuries. News Five’s Duane Moody headed north today and filed this report.
Duane Moody, Reporting
Today, the family of Rosita Olivera was at the cemetery in Progresso Village, Corozal preparing the spot where her body will be laid to rest. This is less than two days after the fifty-two-year-old woman was stabbed multiple times to the chest and face by her brother’s common-law wife on Sunday night. The incident occurred as a group of relatives socialised at the Olivera residence in the village. Karen Romero was there and says that it started with a quarrel between Daisy Lopez and William Olivera, the younger brother of the deceased.
Karen Romero
Karen Romero, Niece of Deceased
“The young lady started having discussions with her husband, start to quarrel because they went to buy and she dropped over the bike and she come start arguing and fighting with her partner, William Olivera. So she chased us and told us to come out of the house and so we went to my granny house.”
The quarrel continued between the couple and the deceased, in an attempt to intervene, was stabbed by a knife-wielding Lopez.
Daisy Lopez
Karen Romero
“My aunt told him to give her the documents of her kids and her documents. And she was harassing him with a knife in her hand. My auntie heard the noise so she come outside. Daisy was running with the knife in her hand and my auntie Rosita was in the back of her trying to take away the knife. What I saw was Daisy Lopez on the ground and my auntie Rosita was at the top and she was like trying to take away the knife that she had in her hand. She was bleeding. Her chest, a big cut and a stab right here and she was like getting like when you lose blood, weak and so we ker her inside. We put her on the chair and we give her a cup of water and we put alcohol on her and she was making noise like two times and then she faint away. They told me to go and get a charter or someone to ker her.”
By the time Emilia Chan got the call, her mother was already en route to the Northern Regional Hospital. She was pronounced dead on arrival at the medical facility.
Emilia Chan
Emilia Chan, Daughter of Deceased
“My sister-in-law called me and she told me dehn stabbed your mom and you’ve got to be strong because your mom died. Really I don’t have words to explain cause I told my husband the worse is yet to come because I have not seen her. I am just trying to do things to be done here, but I have not yet went to see her body because they didn’t let me see her.”
Rosita Olivera is being remembered as a jovial person and a vendor who’s known for selling fruits outside of Saint Peter’s School in Orange Walk Town. The family is heartbroken by what was a social gathering turned tragic.
Karen Romero
“She was a happy person, a lovely person with us. She always treat us good and had a nice way with everyone. She was very happy that night, but she neva like that Daisy was quarrelling with her little brother and she neva wanted her to hurt her little brother.”
Emilia Chan
“Nobody is feeling this pain more than me. I don’t have words to explain.”
Rosita Olivera
Duane Moody
“Is your uncle saying anything? Where is he?”
Emilia Chan
“He is running from the law. They don’t know nothing about him yet; only the girl that stabbed my mother, she is in police hands.”
Lopez remains in police custody. Duane Moody for News Five.
