Early morning murder in the club
efrain cruz
There was another murder today; it’s the third for this week and it happened in the west of the country. The homicide happened at Legends Bar on Bullet Tree Road in San Ignacio and as News Five’s Marion Ali discovered, it is believed the slaying of the thirty-nine year old man was motivated by jealousy. The victim was shot multiple times and died at the scene of the crime. His attacker waited outside the club. Here is that story.
Marion Ali, Reporting
The latest homicide took place around one-thirty this morning just before closing time for the club Legends Nightclub. The victim, Efrain Cruz, also known as “Paing” was just about to leave when the alleged gunman, Alfonso Awe, accosted him outside the business. What happened next totally ruined any chance of a memorable birthday for the business owner, Morrison Banner, who lost a good friend to the unspeakable violence.
Voice of Morrison Banner, Owner, Legends 2000 Club
“He was singing prior to the incident and, like I said, we were having a couple beers cause it was my birthday and we were with some friends playing pool and at about eleven o’clock I went in and I was awoken by one of my employees who told me that he just got shot. I could not believe it.”
That employee was Jacqueline Tuckler, the cashier at Legends Night Club. She witnessed the entire incident unfold.
Jacqueline Tuckler, Eyewitness (Translated)
jacqueline tuckler
“Paing was up at Legends Bar early in the morning and then like couple hours later the guy Emilio reached with three girls, went up to the bar and they sat down around the little table and then he got up and went to the bathroom. And then he came out again and Emilio sat with the girls there and Paing was there drinking and all of them were having a good time. It was time to close so I demanded to turn on the lights and they did. So Emilio and Paing left. So later Paing came back, broke a bottle. Emilio went around a corner and stood there a while then they were disputing with each other and then all of a sudden they were fighting and then he just pulled out a gun and started shooting at Paing.”
Two of the bullets ricocheted off a nearby cement wall and the spot where Cruz collapsed and died had just been cleaned. But events leading up to the fatal shooting reportedly started at this bar near the football stadium in San Ignacio on Thursday night before it resulted in the bloodshed. Cruz’ common-law wife, Shelley Lopez said they always got into arguments because he frequented bars. But more importantly, she feels the motive behind the killing had to do with Cruz’ jealous rage over her friendship with Awe. .
shelley lopez
Shelley Lopez, Common-Law-Wife of Efrain Cruz
“See Paing he dah mi wah really jealous man and den dis guy dat shoot him used to be my friend. I used to text him and he used to text me and he neva used to like dat and dat dah weh start di argument all di time.”
Lopez has lived with Cruz for seventeen years and together they share four children. It is the children she is worried about, she says, in this unfortunate incident. While Deputy Commander of the San Ignacio Police Station, Inspector Claudio Mai, did not reveal much to the media, the case is basically an open and shut one.
Inspector Claudio Mai, Deputy Cmdr., San Ignacio Police
claudio mai
“Prompt police response led to the detention of one Alfonso Awe, who is presently in police custody, who we believe can assist us greatly in this investigation.”
Marion Ali
“Has there been a motive established thus far?”
Inspector Claudio Mai
“Not as we speak. We are still investigating. As you know, it just happened this morning so right now the officers are investigating what really happened.”
Marion Ali
“Is Mr. Awe cooperating? What’s he saying? And have you found a weapon?”
Inspector Claudio Mai
“The investigation continues. I cannot dwell into it because I believe that this can jeopardize my case so I wouldn’t want to dwell into all the nitty gritty of it. but I can safely tell you that so far we believe that we have a good case in our hands.”
Marion Ali
“So you believe the man you have detained was the gunman last night.”
Inspector Claudio Mai
“Yes ma’am.”
The incident has put this businessman at a crossroads because he is now contemplating whether he should close his business for good.
Voice of Morrison Banner
“It’s terrible. I haven’t had time to reassess but that could be a possibility.”
Marion Ali
“That you’d close the place?”
Voice of Morrison Banner
“It’s possible. I’m not sure what I’m gonna do yet.”
Reporting for News Five, I am Marion Ali.
The police expect to bring charges against Awe in the near future.
Dem shud close down di Hot Wata or Fya Wata (wateva dem calla am as well)!!!!
I AM SURPRISE REALLY WHAT IS HAPPENING NOW A DAYS IN BELIZE. BUT THE GOVERNMENT HAS THE FAULT. POLITCIANS PROMISE SO MANY THINGS THAT THEY CANNOT ACCOMPISH. THEY APPOINT MINISTERS WHO GOT MONEY. THEY LOOK FOR THEMSELVES AND FOR THE RICH AND NEVER FOR THE POOR PEOPLE. MY BEST FRIENDS AND WE WERE LIKE BROTHERS WAS ERWIN RAFAEL CONTRERAS. WHEN I CALLED HIM WHEN HE WAS IN HOUSTON TEXAS; THE FIRST THING HE TOLD ME WAS I DON’T KNOW WHY I AM TALKING TO YOU. THAT WHY ….. THE POLITCIANS IN BELIZE. THEY ARE CORRUPTED AND THEY LOOK FOR THEMSELVES. THEY ANOTHER INDEPENDENT PARTY IN BELIZE. BECAUSE THE PUP AND UDP THEY ARE FULL OF $$$$$.
This will be a manslaughter case, if the prosecution wastes their time and our tax payers money to charge this guy for murder it will either be thrown out our he will be found guilty for manslaughter due to EXTREME PROVOCATION on the part of the jealous guy.
I am not siding for anyone on this one. They are both fools who should have avoided each other specially while drinking.
This is so sad. We need to get these guns off the streets. I know that’s not anything new to say but there is too much killings going on in this country that is so small.
Its sad to hear that an old friend who I grew up with is dead now. My prayers goes out the the family. Wish I was there to console you all. Peace and Love.
Kenia .P
this woman should be ashamed
wtf politicains got do with this “miguel”!!!!!!! you mia like some other man the text up you wife or you man? to make matters worse dah joe grind kill the husband. Save you political attacks for a more valid reason. SHAME on that so called woman.!!!!
Miguel Guerra…sorry but this case has nothing to do with politics….from the looks of it…Cruz thought Awe mi di deal with ih gial or probably knew….
My questions are, why did Awe have a gun in a bar? Did he have a license? And if so, was he not explained that the firearm license prohibits carrying the gun when at a bar drinking?
I bet Ms. Lopez going to visit Awe da jail….mark my word!
Ppl haffi start respect them relationship…17 yrs and she no know she man jealous!!!! This dah one of them cases when the whole situation just senseless…di man dead fi nothing!!
Its so sad, drinking ,and gun dont go together. R.I.P. Paing we will surely miss you wish we were there,our prayers to the family.
This lady is full of it and should be ashame of herself.She knew that Paing didn’t like the fact that she had contact with this idiot.Why did she continue having contact with him?She is to blame for this guy’s death.Apparently she cared for this idiot more than she cared for Paing.Pretty face and bad character.
It all boils down to this, Money talks and the rich walks. Sad to say but thats how it is in BELIZE.
She knew her man was jealous then she should have avoid other man , but hse did not care she was apart of it.
this woman should be ashamed of herself…and to have the audacity to go on the news and imply that her so called man’s death was his fault…???
this woman should be ashamed of herself…and to have the audacity to go on the news and imply that her so called man’s death was his fault…??? everyone with sense can tell that most of the blame from this guy’s death is on her. i just wonder what she will tell her kids when the grow older and asked why their father had to die…it is very sad.
That woman has nothing to do with what that stupid ignoramus man did, you and thousand others who think that a man owns a woman just beacuse she sleeps with him., are wrong. That idiot macho fool put a gun to somebody’s head, I hope he is found guilty and hung. Nobody else is resposible for what another does…period…!!!!!!
Women are free to have friendships with whomever, wherever, and whenever, we are all adults, act like it, Women do not give up their rights to have friends because they live with or get married to someone. Mutual respect is where it’s at. Why wasn’t he at home where his woman and children were? What is he doing at the bar? Want respect homey? Give respect!!!!!!!!! You may get it abck. A door swings both ways, and it has many sides…….
Just by reading this idiot’s story anyone with common sense would know that she didn’t care for the brother Paing.She was just probably in a relationship with this man for financial gain or something .what a shame.
That madness will not happen in Cayo. I bind that up in Jesus name. I speak against that we will not be killing people west side. I too pray up for that.
I THINK SHE IS KINDA WHY DIS MURDER HAPPENED!!1 BECAUSE IN THE FIRST PLACE SHE IS A MARRIED WOMAN AND SHOULD NOT BE TEXTING WITH ANOTHER MAN!!! OFCOURSE ANY HUSBAND WOULD BE JEALOUS OF DAT!!1
THE WOMAN IS TO BLAME FOR WHAT HAPPEN!!!
YOU TELL ME WHICH MAN WOULD LIKE HIS WOMAN TEXING ANOTHER MAN, COMMON MEIN, SHE IS FULLY TO BLAME FOR CRUZ DEATH, AND HE FATHERLESS CHILDREN.
POLITICS HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS YOU FOOL FOOL MIGEULE GUERRA!
THIS WOMAN SHOULD BE IN JAIL WITH AWE TOO,
JEZEBEL WOMAN
I agree with Chey the door swings both ways and if people really know Paing and I mean really know him they would not be talking…she is not the only girl he had he had six different families out there and with kids…get the story straight and just because she has friends does not imply she was laying with him…I see no wrong with having friends out there. I blame the two stupid guys fighting for a woman cause one of them could have easily just left her alone but NOOOOO dogs wan fight and see who have the bigger …. and this is what happens. Like the saying goes “Man can do but woman can’t”. And if a friend is there to help her while her guy is at bar and who know where else to me that is what friends are for…guy or lady it does not matter friends are friends.
I am not family or anything but i am a very well concerned citizen. I think if the problem was the lady then she is the one that need to be in jail. I hope our belizean women or gials respect them husbands and mariages and kids.As well as men i think if they were at home sleeping nothing of this magnitude would have happened. I talk to all man and women stop going around messing around with other people property.
but i also think they should close all the bars especially legends because all bars are destroying families out here.and all of them have demons.
Signed with respect. and love
Thanks Chuey, people are so senseless. How can one blame the Government or the woman for the cause of his death??!?!? Do you people think prior to writing? Only her and the other man knows what kind of relationship they had, whether romantic or platonic. Before you judge, you have got to be in the other person’s shoe. If Piang, thought that she had some romantic relation with Awe, why not leave? Why start a chaotic scene?! Jealousy is indeed a poor medium to secure love, but it is a secure medium to destroy one’s self-respect. For jealous people, like dope-fiends, stoop to the lowest level and in the end inspire only disgust and loathing. It’s sad that he had to die like that but his blood is on his murderer’s hand. It his between him and the man above. ~Tee
this shelley lopez is a jezebel!!! she cause the death of her man, she is to blame for her fatherless children!!!!
You tell which man like to have his woman texing another man, common mein, she should have more common sense.whcih woman would like to have another woman texing her man hmm!!!
You know I really believe that legends is a curse place now and should be close down, just like the hell place faya wata. the proper authorities should look into this two establishemnt and cloes them down, too much violence in these two bars!!!! If dah no shooting, dah stabbing, raping all kind of violence take place almost every weekend. SHUT DOWN LEGEND AND FAYA WATA
I think that people need to look at two sides of the story and it is indeed so sad that one man is dead but if you knew the two you know that none of them are violent people. It just goes to show you what people are capable of when they get pushed to the limit, that is why we all have to be fair. Both sides of the family members are suffering as none of this had to happen.
Emilio is a wonderful man, whom is not known ever to be violent. He is a loving father and a great friend. He was pushed to the limit. First paing punched him in the mouth then sent him treating letters to his house and then came running after him with a bottle and told him that he was going to kill him, he needed to defend himself so he did. Now he faces jail time for a woman who does not even deserve all this, she to me is the one to blame as well, if it was not for her friendship none of this would have happened.
thats true a real woman dont fool around so as for the mens we should respect other as our self
Chuey: You’ve got it all twisted.
thats right if you push someone too much you will see the side of someone she should go in gail too fool
she dah wah good one.. she no even look gud..
i think if cruz had other ladies, and goes out drinking like a mad man. it is not his woman fault to find other man. cruz made his bed hard so he should live with that.
Put all these stories a side, if you had a gun and a crazy man comes running towards you with an sharp object and yell, i am going to kill you!! what would you do?
Proper reasoning tells us that twowrongs don’t make one right, but there are grey lines and life is full of paradoxs. Much have been written about man/woman relationship over the centuries, and much more will be written because its a very complex situation. We talk about love, but everyone of us has different definitions about what love is. But for sure we know what respect is; if we give respect in the majority of cases it will be return. The fact that this woman felt that it was rational to text another man knowing that the man she lived with did not appreciate it is a clear indication that she had no respect for herself nor him. The person whoes comments suggest that we can do as we pleace as free human beings regardless of being in a committed relationship, contradict himself because the result speak for itself.There are boundries in all of living.
The golden rule says: do unto others as we would that they do unto us. Nothstanding my previous statement about her lact of proper judgement in this regards, it must be recognize that there are different kind of man /woman relationship. Many women and men find that as time goes by what they thought was a good choice of each other no longer exist, but circumstances does not allow radical change especially if children is involve. Its one of the reason why some individuals get involve in side relationship. How many times have we not seen women walked out of economic security to get involve with someone that feeds her emotions in a manner that is pleasing to her? Its no secret that phone sex is very big in todays society, which could be why this woman found it satisfying to have been texting this other man. Also some women feels that by making her partner jelouse she will get from him the attention she craves.
But then again it come down to proper communication when two individuals can express their deepest emotions without fear of been put down many potential conflicts can be over come. THE BOTTOM LINE IS, THERE IS NO WINNER IN THIS CASE. We can only fix our personal lives and the society when we strive to understand the complexities of human nature that help us to make rational decisions.
RIP cruz i told u stop go out late da nite di drink ,i told u joe grind mi di come round when u stay out late .da no mi shelley fault unu know how cayo cud get chilly late da nite especially when the fog come out.awe probably mi di keep her warm till the bar close cruzito shoulda be happy ,but i hear cruzito da joe grind too so .like how the spanish man se se le salio el tiro por la culata a que si gyal?and listen to inpector gadget mai he seh i can get into the nitty gritty now weh kinda english dat fi a top rankin police official?shelly finally free now she could have all the friends she wants now yohoo shelley .shelley cahal pech this weekend my gyal
derick, i’d shoot the hell….out of him, if I was SOBER! In this case, Awe was drunk and as a sane person would think properly, not to use gun while drinking. or where was the security at legends and he should have confiscated his gun. He is suppose to be in JAIL.
RIP EFRAIN CRUZ…it’s not a matter of government or wife, this a clear case of uncontrolled temper that many Belizeans can’t handle in these present times…human life is no longer valued as sacred & people think they can kill anyone like killing a dog because of anything…it’s sad.
no time to point fingers people,a man is dead !
Some of you really need to think before you post something online where other people can read and laugh about how ignorant you all sound! Someone is dead – period! Is it justified? HELL NO! If this ends up as manslaughter all Belizean should be concern with your prosecutors and your criminal justice system as this is a clear case of Pre-meditated murder! Don’t know the difference use google and educate yourself!
Instead of pointing fingers what are you all willing to do as a community to stop the senseless killings? Not a damn thing! What you all need to do is stop taking sides and do the right thing and be a damn parent to your kids and teach them what is right from wrong! If the shoe fits wear it!
Shelly Lopez, SHAME ON YOU!!! You are a sad excuse for being called a mother. Before starting a so called friendship or should I say a relationship with Awe you should have taken a few moments and think about your four children, especially Steven, Steven is a severely
handicapped child that needs his dad. Paing was mother and father to Steven seeing that you neglected him. Steven is the one that lost the most because he lost his best friend, his dad. You have not only deprived your four children but three other children of their dad. Your time of judgment will come, your judges will be your children. Remember Cayo people will give your children and answer when they ask why did their dad got murdered.
You had a nerve to go to the police station demanding Paing’s body, remember he had blood family. The guy got murdered Friday morning, you have no respect for the dead. You went to the Town Board wanting to collect his pay cheque and his personal belongs, but it was so sweet that you met your match with his aunt. I hope the bouquet you took to the funeral did not set you back too much financially. It was a sad day for a lot of people losing Paing, but your presence there did added humor as you were a laughing stock for a lot of people.
Extreme Provocation caused an other-wise mild mannered fellow to come in to a fit of rage and kill(manslaughter) his once old time friend. Imagine how Awe feels. Remember we are all faulty humans that do react without thinking once we are cornered between a wall and a herd place!!
All of these people are so not informed!!! this is not your lives to comment on! I loved pain with all my soul but he was not perfect…..it is so wrong and so easy to blame it on the one that took so much bs for years!!! what if shelly would have been killed by the other woman that would have been ok huh !!!!!!!!! let Pain rest in peace and let Shelly deal with her own conscience.. unless you are going to maintain her children.
I don’t get involved with lovers and family quarells……
I don’t get involved with lovers and family quarells……at the end of the day. I’m JUST an OUTSIDER!!!
So said to hear Paing is gone from this world. He was a far cousin to me but we use to be close.the last time I saw him was 2yrs ago and I blame it on shelly. she has the fault, now she has four kids without a dad. his death will always be in her concious. May you rest in peace Paing. My deepest condolesence to Fito, Leny and Punchies…………..
Paing was my first cousin. From the very time we realized that Paing was having a relationship with that skank we all advised him aqainst it. Lupe was and still is a dedicated and lovely wife. I dont know what in the world Paing saw in Shelley. She never loved him. All she was interested was having a man to take care of her. I hope all the men see her for what she really is now ;know that she spells trouble. She ruined the lives of many. I live in Los Angeles but I had heard that both Awe and Paing use to be friends. Now she better get her lazy … up now and go to work. She is so ignorant and stupid for that comment she made. Jealous? I dont know why because she is nothing to be jealous about. I wouldn’t wish her to be with my worst .enemy. What Paing should have done was take a paternity test on those kids that she has. JS I HOPE SHE GETS TO READ THIS…….. SHAME ON HER
Everyone has the story twisted and should not be talking about the situation without being informed. If you were there, u would have seen all that occured and would realize you all don’t know what you’re talking about. I was there and i saw first hand what occured. It’s a shame nobody else could see it.
The aftermath of this situation and the severity to which it has risen, is because of one man whom will not be named because he knows who he is. The woman (shelly) is awe’s family, and no relationship was occuring because awe and his wife were good friends with the woman (family) . She was just in the spotlight and said some things which she is now regreting. The deceased was not a kind and nice person the way he was described by his family an friends who are clearly denying the truth. He had a wife and children, and another woman. He was clearly a nieusance to awe because awe repeatedly avoided him and at times ran away to avoid an altercation which would have occured if he stayed. The same night he was killed awe went away from a bar to another one and the deceased followed him where he cornered awe and treatned to kill him. He was druged and drunk and went to attack. At the moment of attack, awe, in great panic, shot him once and the man was still aiming at him so another shot was fired, and that’s when the handgun jammed and the other shots were fired.
It was a killed or be killed situation and i know many people would have done the same had not given another option. Its such a shame that in times of grief and peril, that family and friends turn their backs on the people they sworn and said to love. This is what takes us to alternative methods and you realize how much true friends are worth because those are the ones left behind to aid. This situation has so many errors and yes it has some politics involed on the victim’s side. As with all things belize, you can buy the power of people and this leads us to the corrupt country we sadly live in now. Open your eyes everyone, open your eyes Belize and see the truth.
My heart goes out to the family of both the victims. They are, after all, victims…
I know that my dad was a jelouse man and i know that it was wrong for my mother to txt with that ass, but that didnt mean that awe should have killed my dad and this da lone bul}%%<€£ bcaz dat ugly fat man set free.. da lone bull#%%?€ with police nowadays bcaz dem know dat d man kill my pa bcaz dem gat proof n yet let dat man walk free.. lone bu|€%<€>?€!€!£