Woman’s neighbour charged with her murder

While police have their hands full with the unprecedented number of murders, there is a major break to report in the shocking case of a Belize City woman who met her death in a most horrific manner early Sunday evening. Thirty-nine year old Sandra Ruiz, a young professional employed by Esso, was robbed, raped and beaten to death with a hammer at her home on Meighan Avenue. And today, twenty-two year old Darrel Grant, Ruiz’s neighbour, was arrested and slammed with five charges.

When police located Grant at a Ladyville hideout he had on him the evidence that linked him to the crime, Ruiz’s gold chain and medal valued at six hundred dollars. Grant apparently entered the woman’s home with the intention of robbery, but the incident escalated to rape and murder. The victim’s eight year old daughter, Ana, who witnessed the crime, was also hammered on the head. Ruiz’s other daughter, thirteen year old Nadia Prado, was hiding in the bathroom and peered through the door as her mother was killed and her sister was wounded. Grant appeared before the Magistrate’s Court today to answer the charges of Murder, Attempted Murder, Dangerous Harm, Use of Deadly Means of Harm and Aggravated Burglary. He was remanded into custody until September seventeenth.

Less than three months ago, Grant was the victim of a gunshot wound over an old beef with, Robert “Black” Jones who shot and killed in the vicinity of Belize Water Services on July twenty-first.