Two Chinese nationals murdered in Dangriga…

It’s a record number of deaths in the past twenty-four hours. Six persons are dead: three murdered and three others succumbed in a motorcycle accident. But first we go to Dangriga where two Chinese nationals were brutally stabbed to death last night in what appears to be a case of premeditated murder. Marion Ali reports from Dangriga.

Marion Ali, Reporting
Cold-blooded and heartless are two of the words Dangriga residents were using to describe an attack on a group of Chinese nationals in that community which ended in two of their deaths.

The incident occurred shortly before midnight on Monday on the lower flat at two Mahogany Street in Dangriga, the home of thirty-one year old game shop proprietor, Liping Zhen and his wife, twenty-eight year old Xue Na Yan. Both Zhen and Yan were tied up and viciously stabbed by a knifeman who had gained access to the back of the yard where the couple and two others had gathered to play a card game. Those two other persons, thirty-three year old Yue Lian Liu, who had operated a store right next door, and Jian Conc Yan were also tied up then stabbed.

By the time it was all over, Liping Zhen and Yue Lian Liu were dead and Xue Na Yan and Jian Conc Yan were seriously wounded. Xue Na Yan does not speak English, but told us through the President of the Chinese Association, Lee Mark Chang, what happened.

Lee Mark Chang, President, Chinese Assn. of Belize
“They got home a little bit late from work last night and they went home to boil some water to take shower. So they were hanging out on the veranda where they were hanging out and the water was boiling and before you knew it somebody was behind them with knives.”

Marion Ali
“One person with knives.”

Lee Mark Chang
“Yes, knives; two knives. The guy just told them to stand on the side and empty their pockets and we though it was going to be a simple matter, they would just probably rob them and take what they needed to take and he proceeded and he started to tie them up one by one and we said it was just a robbery so we’d let him take what he needed to take. So after a couple minutes the guy was searching in their room and they got sacred because the guy could not find any money and they already gave him all the money. So when the guy looked up at them and they were scared that the guy would hurt them so they made a run for it through the gate. And at that time the guy came out and started chopping and stabbing and chopped her across the face and stabbed the three young men that were there fighting with him but with their hands tied of course. That is the tragic situation.”

Zhen and his wife had just moved to Dangriga two months ago from Independence Village to open up their business, a game shop, a few minutes drive from their home. The attack on them and their friends was so vicious that Lee Mark Chang says the Chinese community is left in disbelief.

Lee Mark Chang
“The Chinese community is made up of businessmen in Belize and hardworking people. When someone is killed or harmed, of course it hurts the community. We’ll probably have to appeal to the community for information that they could call and give to the Police Department so as to catch the culprit. Definitely, we will be working with the Police Department and we do have an emergency fund aside at the Chinese Association and we will be working closely with the Police Department.”

But while the Police believe the motive of the attack was robbery, they have no suspects because the culprit wore a mask.

Insp. Alden Dawson, Deputy O.C., Dangriga Police Station
“It had to be someone who was studying the movement of these persons. We noticed that a string was cut from the opposite yard and we learned that …”

Marion Ali
“You mean the clothes line?”

Insp. Alden Dawson
“The clothesline, yes. And the investigation revealed that the Chinese female was tied up with a piece of that same clothesline.”

Marion Ali
“What did the person get away with?”

Insp. Alden Dawson
“At this time we understand an amount of cash. We’re looking for a dark skin male person about six feet in height, and that’s what we’re going on at this time.”

Marion Ali
“That could be anybody. You have a name?”

Insp. Alden Dawson
“We don’t have a name at present but we’re working on it.”

The landlady of the house where Zhen lived did not want to appear on camera, but told News Five that said she heard a noise coming from downstairs and that she thought it was an argument among those in the group.

Voice of Landlady
“In the beginning I thought it was a squabble they had between themselves because they were outside sitting down, they were playing cards. So I thought it was something to do with money. We heard a lady crying from downstairs and I asked my son to check what is happening downstairs and he said he saw the wife holding the husband in her hands and she was sitting down on the floor. When we looked—I came down and when we looked we saw another man lying down and then I went upstairs and called the police. They’re living here now for two months and every night when they come home they would sit out there and eat and they would play their games.”

According to the landlady, only last week, one of her dogs, which was tied at the same side of the house from where the attacker gained entrance, was mysteriously poisoned, leaving now only one other dog to guard the front entrance.

Meanwhile, Zu Zhen Chen does not live in the area and found out only in the wee hours of this morning that someone had murdered her brother and cousin.

Zu Zhen Chen, Cousin of Murder Victim
“Somebody go in the yard and use a knife, stab two ah dehn.”

Marion Ali
“They had just come from the game shop?”

Zu Zhen Chen
“Yeah, dehn just come back from game shop.”

The fourth person injured, Jian Conc Yan, is currently recovering from stab wounds in the Southern Regional Hospital. The Chinese Community is asking the public’s assistance in solving this heinous act. Lee Mark Chang can be reached at Chon Saan Palace in Belize City. Reporting for News Five, Marion Ali.