Two men perish over the weekend in the murder capital
Winston Jones
The budget for the police department is being slashed in the upcoming financial year which begins April first and law and order is expected to come under more strain. March has been a busy month for criminals, and even before the month closes, gun violence continued unabated in the streets of the old capital. Two more men are dead tonight after being gunned down in the southside. What is most intriguing about the latest homicides is that they happened in the close proximity of each other. As News Five’s Marion Ali discovered when she visited the scenes today, while the second victim might have been at the wrong place at the wrong time, the two killings are connected.
Marion Ali Reporting,
Dean Street at its junction with East Canal was the scene of the weekend’s first of two murders. Thirty-two year old Winston Jones, also known as “Baja” was reportedly standing at Fu & Fu Shop just before eight thirty on Saturday night.
Jones’ killer reportedly came from through this alley near the corner of Dean Street and dodged him as he was making a purchase at the shop. The killer fired a number of shots, two hit their mark. Jones was shot in the chest and the right lower ribcage and died while undergoing treatment at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital.
When News Five visited his residence on East Canal today his family was too upset to speak to us on camera, but a relative told us that she believes a couple friends know who killed Jones but there are not saying.
What angers her even more is that the second murder took place inside the same yard where she and Jones lived. The killer, said to be another youth who wore a mask, jumped the zinc fence to Jones’ yard and opened fire. The bullets barely missed Jones’ other brother and nephews who were present at the time. Police need the public to help them solve the crime.
Sgt. Fitzroy Yearwood, Police Press Officer
“I hope the public realize that we cannot do it on our own. If they would come forward – we know we have witnesses for everything in Belize. This is a small country, the city is small, densely populated. There’s nothing that happens unnoticed.”
Marion Ali
“People fear for their lives.”
Sgt Fitzroy Yearwood
“Marion, one thing I must tell you, if you believe you saw the orchestrator of a crime and you are afraid that if you talk they will hurt you, you must remember if you saw them, they saw you too. So what would be better, for you to testify and have that person put away or for you to live in fear every day? “
Marion Ali
“Many people don’t even live to see the witness stand, they are killed long before they reach there. It’s just a revolving door.”
Sgt Fitzroy Yearwood
“It’s just a revolving door in truth but at the same time we must put a stop to it and the police cannot do it alone.”
But thirty-six year old Philip Roches, a handyman who was cutting the grass, was not as lucky. He was struck four times in the head, chest, arm and hand. This is the second time that Norma Coote has lost a son to gun violence.
Norma Coote, mother of Philip Roches (Murdered)
“Ih couldn’t mek it because di bullet gone eena ih head, come tru dah front yah so and ih noh come out and ih shatter everything weh ih pass tru yah soh right. Ih mi gone chop wah yard, di same bway weh dead weh name Baja, di lady give ah di job fi goh du right, cut di yard fi di wake and dah way een deh dehn come and shot ah dehn seh. Dah noh he exactly deh gone afta I hear.”
Sgt. Fitzroy Yearwood, Police Press Officer
“Roches was there doing a little cleaning in the yard when he came under attack and was shot several times all over the body noh.”
Marion Ali
“First they killed Jones and the next day they went to his yard. It seems as though they want him and or somebody for him dead. Is that what police is picking up?”
Sgt Fitzroy Yearwood
“We are trying to link the two crimes and it’s an obvious fact that they wanted somebody else from his family dead because word get around fast and I’m sure that from Saturday night people on the streets knew that Jones was already dead so obviously they went back there for somebody else, probably a case of mistaken identity because Philip Roches is a real handyman in this area.”
Norma Coote says Philip had stopped by the day before he was killed and promised to return. She was expecting him when she received the news of his murder.
Norma Coote
“Ih noh stay long, ih just talk to mi wah lee bit and ih gone bout ih business, ih seh ih wah see mi later. I never see ah because ih never come back. Di next day wen I hear, yoh know.”
Police are still trying to decipher the motives behind both killings and are yet to make arrests. Marion Ali for News Five.
In addition to the murders this weekend, another man also lost his life. Thirty-five year old Herman Lanza has been in and out of prison for over a decade and this Palm Sunday, Lanza was the victim of a shooting incident. He was socializing with friends in front of Pratt’s Fried Chicken on Hondo Street when he was approached by two men. One of the men blasted several shots which hit him on his neck and left shoulder. Lanza is in critical condition at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital.
This is becoming a real insult to let anyone know that you are from Belize. The crime rate is ridiculously out of hand for such a small place and now police salary will be cut therefor it will only get worst. What we need is for a real James Bond type to come in and clear out the streets quietly taking out all the wanna be bad boys one by one. Especially since nothing will come of it any way or someone should set up something that they can all meet some place and kill each other out once and for all. The country is too corrupt to even concentrate on the problems outside of politics that crime will only get worst before or if it ever gets better. Belize should be ashamed to look right over the border to Chetumal at the big difference we have seen there in the development over the years while Belize only seems to be going back ward. We need capital punishment, HANGING. Not once do we hear serious comments from politicians about what they can or will really do to calm down the crime rate.
I agree 100% with the reply above……..The Government is too corrupted to even get to the bottom of trying to address the problem of crimes, much less ,nightly killings. In some cases, maybe most cases, the Police officers might be just too scared to even get involved……..The Belize Governmnet and people need to wake up before it is too late!!!!!
@ MelSKeen, I must concur, Little Belize, high percentage of violence. here in Chicago, I’ve joined a Baptist church and many of my congregation went on a ( Caribbean) Cruise, and they go on annual Cruises, but refuse to return to Belize. It breaks my heart, but I’m only one positive trying to defend all the negative…
I don’t know what or who can help us… the police force are really no help, they ask u to testify but can they assure your safety, WE DON’T NOT HAVE A WITNESS PROTECTION PROGRAM, yet they expect us to risk our life. Some-one tell me whats wrong with this equation… Police killing civilian, black brothers killing their black brothers… what are we gaining?????
its so sad to see my country turning into the middle east. i myself am scared to visit. worst living down there. i knew herman and im really sorry for his family. people need help but unfortunately the police isn’t capable of doing anything.
how can they do this the polices officer will don’t want to work efficient it they’ll be paid such a small salary…soon the police officers won’t be able to drive their vehicle/motor cycle because of the high gas prices…this is embarrassing for our country Belize…if these criminals are caught right handed like the incident that happen at Atlantic Bank they should be HANG…mien i believe that these things need to be taken seriously criminals will never stop what they’re doing because they have the mentality that hey u know we can commit any crime and just go spend some time in jail….and lastly for the government to raise taxes by 12.5% it will just make the situation worst the guys on the street will start stealing more to try and maintain their families…i do agree wit the other person Belize is so same and the crime rate cannot be control and larger city can solve their problem easily these police need to go to the drawing board and try to solve these problem and try to damn minimize the corruption occurring in the police department with the community and inside the department.
Not James Bond but …. Charles Bronson… A Vigilante type. Kill the bad guys dead. Clean up the street for the good citizens.
I agree with you MelSkeen, I used to say to myself …leave the criminals let them kill each other out but you know what?, thats just me being ignorant. The crime is spiraling out of control as the days go by and the government seems to have it’s hands tied behind it’s back and can’t to do a thing to ease it down. I say crack a few necks and everyone will see that the laws of Belize means business…..and of course you will see a decrease in the murder rate. The laws in Belize are a big joke, it has too many loopholes and the criminals just hop scotch through them like piece of cake…besides they are just there to protect the criminals anyways right? We as a people have to fight fire with fire ..what Belize needs is a vigilante group of civilians to curb this crime situation. A Group who would swoop in and clean the blood ridden city streets of the unproductive low lifes who create caos in society on a daily basis. I would gladly join such a group just give me weapon and i’d literally sweep the streets of all the wanna be gansters out here one by one. It will come to that pretty soon …or maybe it already has…you mark my words on that….people are and will be taking matters into their own hands since the police are constantly proving themselves to be incompetent.
Hey, I feel bady for the people of Belize. The law abiding ones,
that is. I’m not Belizean, just a humble visitor to your beautiful
country. I must say though, I like the idea of getting all the bad
actors together in some kind of a contest where they will kill each
other. If you do it right, it could be broadcast on television as a
pay per view type of event, which would be a good idea since
most of the decent citizens would probably be reluctant to attend
in person. Then bury them in a mass grave and arrange a
competition to see who can design the best marker for their place
of eternal rest. Do this every six months or so and the relatively
small population of Belize will actually work to the benefit of the
good people, since it wouldn’t take too long to get rid of most of
these a……
Tom
MelSkeen for president!
Haha, good one Tom Beck, i like your way of thinking……but sounds like a movie i’ve seen but what the heck, anything to help out would be nice indeed. MelSkeen for prime minister!
R.I.p baja,gone but not forgotten!it sad to see our black brothers(future strenght)kill each other.but we have to look at the origin of this war!beilize don’t make guns nor grenade..some belizean abroad blame the youth but truly its not them cause picture being hungry with no food,going to school but still can’t get a job..etc.things like these and many more make them turn to fast money that come with fast life..I know our country is mess up with “criminals”.but look at the root of some of these “criminals”they worn’t “criminals”a year or more back,some of them went to college!am living abroad now but 9yrs ago,I was living in the city.I give thank to the most high for taking me out of “another world”within a world!but some belizean abroad need to get it right with who are the true Criminals!stop blaming the youth cause I was once a youth hungry,had potential but no job,”who fells it, know it” and if u really want to help,all belizean abroad should come together with the belize government and state to them tourist won’t visist belize until youth get jobs!