Two homicides reported in Cayo District

Two men are dead but for a change the homicides were not committed on the streets of Belize City. The latest incident occurred shortly after midnight on Wednesday morning in Santa Elena, Cayo where a brawl had broken out among four men at the Cinco Banderas Bar. The owner of the bar, forty-six year old Benjamin Mendez, told police he tried to stop the fight by pushing one of the participants, Victor Castellanos. But Castellanos only grew angrier and pounced on Mendez, punching him several times. Mendez told police he ran outside but Castellanos pursued him, now with a knife in hand. It was at this point that Mendez said he drew his licensed nine millimetre pistol and shot Castellanos once in the chest. He died while receiving treatment at the San Ignacio Hospital. Police have detained three people, including a woman, in connection with the incident, but could not say how they are linked to the crime. Meanwhile, no charges have yet been filed against Mendez.

The second homicide happened over the weekend, also in San Ignacio. Police have yet to release the details of that murder, but information reaching News Five is that a fist fight between Ismael Pulido and Guatemalan, Jose Luis Garcia ended up with Garcia being the victim of a fatal knife wound. Pulido appeared in San Ignacio Magistrates’ Court yesterday and was remanded to Hattieville Prison until May twenty-second.