Stabbing victim indentifies attacker, but no arrests made
Ishmarley Sterling
You may have seen him around town on his bicycle. Many people know him as the ‘Tart Bwai” because of the pastries he has sold for almost a decade. But Ishmarley Sterling almost lost his life over the Easter holiday weekend. He said he became involved in an altercation with a deportee from the United States while on the island of Caye Caulker. He was brutally stabbed several times and was left for dead until kind residents on the island brought him to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital. And although he could identify his attacker, the policemen attached to the island refused to take his statement. Rather than street justice, he says he simply wants the police to afford him the justice granted by law.
Ishmarley Sterling, Stabbed Five Times
“I used to sell pastries you know. I used to sell jam roll and coconut tart for about eight and a half years. So my ma di tek wah lee rest so I just gone out into exile too fi relax wah lee bit til she ready.”
Jose Sanchez
“That’s in Caye Caulker.”
Ishmarley Sterling
“Yes sir.”
Jose Sanchez
“And what happened out there?”
Ishmarley Sterling
“Well, yoh know di man just stab mi up wid wah knife, give me some fatal stab wound; at least six big stab. I tell police dah who and weh pah ih deh and dehn seh dehn can’t do nothing bout it.”
Jose Sanchez
“And that’s Caye Caulker Police?”
Ishmarley Sterling
“Yes.”
Jose Sanchez
“And what happened afta dat?”
Ishmarley Sterling
“Nothing happen afta dat boss, nothing, nothing. I gone dah hospital and come out and nothing happen afta dat. I mi di expect fi si dehn got di man, wah lee flash news or something but nothing noh come out ah it. Dehn seh police escort di man off ah di island afta di man juk me up yoh know.”
Jose Sanchez
“What is the name of the person who stabbed you?”
Ishmarley Sterling
“Dehn seh dehn call ah Slick but dehn seh ih name Clive Valencia, wah deportee from America. I shoe di police dehn di picture yesterday dah station and seh yes, dah he and I tell dehn weh pah ih deh and dehn seh dehn can’t do nothing bout it.”
Jose Sanchez
“So you’re hoping through this medium that somebody at the top will listen and actually pay attention? It seems like you could have been killed.”
Ishmarley Sterling
“Yes, I really want mein cause I tell dehn weh pah ih deh. I really noh want have to go afta ah cause I tell di police dah who and weh pah ih deh but dehn noh di pay no mind. Dehn tell me like yeah mek I go do weh I want.”
Jose Sanchez
“Last question then, where and when in specifically the incident happened?”
Ishmarley Sterling
“Caye Caulker, Easter Saturday night. Easter Saturday night. thanks to dah man dah Caye Caulker weh mek dehn bring me out, Big Fish Dive Shop cause dehn mi wah lef me fi dead cause I deh deh long and nobody noh want help me. Dehn call fi di chopper and di chopper noh want come so di man mek dehn put me inna di boat and bring me.”
The incident was not investigated by the police.
THE INCIDENT WAS NOT INVESTIGATED BY THE POLICE? WHY?
I believe Mr. Sterling that Police dont wanna do anything about it. Happens very often and one cant help but feel helpless and wanna take action. Hopefully some top police listen or even reads this site. Shame on dem…di encourage crime instead of taking action.
I hear that the guy valencia is a snitch for the police. he sells drugs for them so they can get arrests… wno’t mention what happens to the proflts… so they were hoping tart bwai would die out there.
the police is belize aren’t really police, just regular people that pretend their police. they themselves have no guts to do there jobs. i hope the police can read this”im a teacher and i can do a better job that you all”, its true,lol.
I don’t know what else to say brother.Just watch you back because we can’t even trust the police.
Maybe the man pay the police off that’s why nothing come out of it. That’s so sad because anyone could drop and if they flash wah lee bit a money the cops cover it up pure corruption i say pure corruption.
probably, as usual, the policeman is related to the offender…..
I think that terrible, the same thing happen to my son in Belize city and did nothing.
It is very important for everyone to pay attention to this gentleman’s last statements of the interview. In creole he clearly stated that Big Fish Dive Center provided him with transport from the Island to the KHMH in order to take care of his injuries.
Unfortunately Mr. Albert Ciego from The Reporter seems to have mis-interpreted this information and wrote on this weeks edition of his newspaper that the stabbing actually happened inside the dive center. The ramifications of such assumption are irreparable specially to a dive center that prides itself in having a 100% safety record with its divers. Just to have that ruined by an assumption that there are stabbings happening inside said dive center.
Big Fish Dive Center always provides its boats to the Caye Caulker residents who are in need of medical care from the KHMH or any other city hospital because they are located across from the Caye Caulker Health Center. It is a pity that the old saying seems to be true in this case and that is ” NO GOOD DEED GOES UN PUNISHED”.
That said we hope that Big Fish Dive Center doesn’t stop the good work they do to assist the island’s sick due to Mr. Ciego’s assumptions.