Abner Rodriguez, a family man, murdered
Abner Rodriguez
A father of two was the weekend’s fourth murder victim in the lawlessness that engulfed the streets over the weekend. Abner Rodriguez last saw his family on Saturday evening after six. Thereafter he went out with friends, and by midnight when his wife called him by cell for the second time, she got the horrific news of his demise. The family believes that there are witnesses to the crime and are pleading for information. News Five’s Jose Sanchez has a report.
Jose Sanchez, Reporting
Crime scene gloves are all that remain on Seventh Street to show that a construction worker was brutally beaten to death at midnight on Sunday. According to the wife of thirty-nine year old Abner Rodriguez, he was a peaceful man.
Nerba Rodriguez, Wife of Abner Rodriguez
Nerba Rodriguez
“No, I don’t know him as having any enemies—he was always a pacific person. He’s always was the person that if he sees a fight, he would want to make a peace. He was that type of person.”
Jose Sanchez
“So clearly you don’t know anyone who would want to hurt him. What was he doing out late?”
Nerba Rodriguez
“Well he was just socializing with his friends which he usually does coming from hard working. He’s a contractor—a contractor that works as well, not only supervise and whatever. So when he do has his social outing he informs me, we keep in touch, where he is, what he is doing and things like that.’
Monica Bodden, 7 News
“Tell us what you recall that night.”
Nerba Rodriguez
“Well that night, when he came from work—that was like after six-thirty soh, he told me he would be out with his workers socializing for a while and when he did, he called me and I said ok. Around eleven-thirty I called him to see what was happening. He explained to me that he would be home shortly. When I called back after twelve that night, the sergeant picked up the phone and told me what had happened to him on Seventh Street. And I was very shock. He was brutally murdered and I would really want for justice to be done and to find out who or what happened that night.”
Rodriguez was a father of two.
Nerba Rodriguez
“Abner is my beloved husband. He was a very good husband, a friend to me, my advisor, my confidant—share everything with each other. Known each other thirteen years, this would have been our six years being married and seven years as boyfriend noh. He was a loving father, very dedicated. With his children. Very helpful father with them, very close to them, playing with them; everything.”
Jose Sanchez
“How many kids did you have?”
Nerba Rodriguez
“I have two—a two year old and a four year old. The two year old; Avelyn Rodgriguez and the four year old; Athalia Rodriguez.”
And though he was killed late at night, the family believes there were witnesses.
Jose Sanchez
“I know it’s had but has anyone in your family spoken to the other workers he was with to see if they had an argument with anyone?”
Nerba Rodriguez
“Well, it’s different things coming from the others that were along with him and it seems to involve more but I don’t know whatever. I just want to find out what happened.”
Jose Sanchez
“Did they tell you if he was alone, you know, when he passed?”
Nerba Rodriguez
“Well, he wasn’t alone. He was coming along with the others he was with.”
Jose Sanchez
“So they do know something?”
Nerba Rodriguez
“Yes, they do know something. That’ why I need to know what and I need help to find out noh. The law can do justice.”
On Third Street in Kings Park, A black bow is hung on the fence of the Rodriguez residence. On one concrete wall, the word Abner is scribbled, which now becomes a public testimonial of the old Capital’s moral decay. Reporting for News Five, Jose Sanchez.
Some of us tried to explain that the violence was not a south side problem, our city is too small for the violence to stay confined to one area. It has now seeped into the rest of the city, everyone has gone blind & deaf & obviously incapable of loyalty. What friends will watch their friend get beaten to death & not try to stop it or intervene, what kind of wussies was he hanging with? What are they hiding?
useless and impotent gov. and pm resign barrow resignnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn you betta hope none of my family members get murdered barrow or you and your whole gov. will surely see god.
My condolences to the wife, children and family of the latest statistics. ANOTHER NORMAL DAY IN THE “TRANQUIL HAVEN OF DEMOCRACY” NEXT VICTIM FOR WEDNESDAY PLEEASE!
The Belize Youth Movement, the youth arm of the People’s United Party, sends its condolences to the families of all those affected by these recent, senseless murders. We call on the Government to implement and exercise harsher penalties for those convicted of these brutal acts. We stand in solidarity with the Asian community and every Belizean who is sick and tired of watching innocent people dying. We demand that those given lucrative positions in the Ministry of Police and Defense play their part in ensuring a safer Belize. We call on the Prime Minister to focus his time, attention, and efforts in ensuring that these criminals be brought to justice, rather than just sitting in his office and just pointing the finger of blame on the previous administration.
WHY MY PEOPLE??? WHY???? WHY HAVE WE DECIDED THAT THE ONLY WAY TO SOLVE OUR PROBLEMS IS TO KILL EACH OTHER LIKE ANIMALS??? IN FACT, NOT EVEN THE ANIMALS KILL EACH OTHER LIKE THAT!!!! CONTINUE PRAISING VIOLENT BEHAVIOR AND MAKING PEOPLE FEEL LIKE THEY ARE UNTOUCHABLE BECAUSE THEY ARE SO BIG AND BAD! NOBODY IS ABOVE THE LAW AND NOBODY IS INVINCIBLE! WHEN YOU THINK YOU BAD THERE ARE PEOPLE THAT ARE WORST THAN YOU! STOP GIVING OUR YOUNG PEOPLE MIXED MESSAGES ABOUT WHAT IS RIGHT AND WRONG! WE NEED TO SEND ONE MESSAGE TO THEM, THAT IS, VIOLENCE IS WRONG AND A LIFE IS PRECIOUS. ALL BAD MAN WILL EVENTUALLY GO ONE PLACE, IT DOES NOT PAY TO BE BADMAN! STOP KILLING INNOCENT PEOPLE THEY ARE NOT ANIMALS, WHEN THEY ARE GONE WE CANNOT GET THEM BACK! STOP KILLING INNOCENT PEOPLE! I AM SO FEDUP WITH ALL THESE SENSELESS MURDERS OF UPSTANDING MEN WHO TAKE CARE OF THEIR FAMILIES AND NOT OUT THERE BEING A SCUMBAG LIKE THE REST OF THOSE WORTHLESS PIECE OF EXCUSES FOR HUMAN BEINGS. STOP THE KILLING!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Where is the PRESS CONFERENCE FOR Abner Rodriguez?????????????
See …………WE REALLY NEED THAT PRISON FARM TO SEND HIS KILLER TO SPEND THE REST OF HIS LIFE…………..
where he can ERAN HIS KEEP AND provide for society AT NO COST TO TAX-PAYERS.
Earl Grey, you got a good point. The press conference was called after the Chinese women were killed, I guess Belizeans don’t mean too much, only the Chinese who paid those 10 grands a pop for passports years ago and to this day grease the wheels of certain government branches.
Still I see no changes….
Senseless violence! We Belizeans are never going to learn. Let’s wipe out the entire population, shall we?
BELIZE HAS A VERY SMALL POPULATION AND THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD IMPLEMENT DATABASES OF IT CITIZEN SO THAT THEY CAN FIND WHO ARE THE GANG MEMBERS. MAKE SURE EVERY KIDS UNDER THE AGE OF 18 GOES TO SCHOOL, SO THAT SOMEDAY THEY CAN BE PRODUCTIVE TO SOCIETY. HOW WILL BELIZE ATTRACT TOURIST WHEN THE CRIME RATE IS SO HIGH? I KNOW A LOT OF FOREIGNERS THAT WOULD LOVE TO COME TO BELIZE TO VISIT THE SECOND LARGEST BARRIER REEF, BUT IT IS HARD TO RECOMMEND SOMEONE TO GO TO A PLACE THAT THEY ARE KILLING INNOCENT PEOPLE…IT’S LIKE GOING TO AFGANISTAN OR IRAG WHERE THERE IS WAR. BELIZEAN SHOULD ASK WHAT CAN I DO FOR MY COUNTRY TO MAKE IT MORE PEACEFUL. I THINK THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD IMPLEMENT HARSH LAWS(DEATH PENALTY IF NECESSARY) FOR ROBBERY, LOITERING AND KILLING. DO NOT PROTECT THIEVES AND CRIMINALS. WHAT USE ARE THEY FOR SOCIETY? A SOCIETY SHOULD TEACH THEIR CHILDREN MORALS AND PRINCIPLES SO THAT THEY CAN BECOME PRODUCTIVITY TO SOCIETY. GOD BLESS BELIZEANS!
…………….THAT KILLED MY UNCLE AND WE ARE GETTING READY OUR WEAPON TO KILLED WHO WE KNOW WHO DID AND IF THE GOVERNMENT CANT DO ANYTHING WE WILL PUT DOWN OUR FEET AND KILLED BECAUSE HE WAS NOT A DOG AND WE SHALL KNOW THAT HE HAVE A FAMILY AND WE WILL NOT SEE OUR FAMILY SUFFER BECAUSE OF THEM IDIOTS AND IF PEOPLE THINK THAT A BLACK MAN IN BELIZE IS CRAZY THEY WILL SEE WHAT IT IS TALK CRAZY MEAN BECAZ WE NOT GOING TO DO DRIVE BY, WE DO IT FROM OF EVERYONE SO THEY CAN SEE…………………………………..”R.I.P TIO ABNER RODRIGUEZ”