Family argument, Family murder in Cotton Tree Village

Thaddeus Castillo

Tragedy has struck as a trivial dispute, one that occurs in most families, did not go well for a family in Cotton Tree.  Anger turned to rage, and then to murder. Before cool heads could prevail, twenty-one year old Thaddeus Castillo was murdered in Cotton Tree Village.  Castillo, who is originally from Belize City, was visiting family in the village after losing his job about a month ago. But his visit came to an unexpected end when he tried to assist a relative that was outnumbered in a fight. The brawl is believed to have stemmed from an altercation earlier on Wednesday.  News Five’s Delahnie Bain headed west and spoke to family members and witnesses who are still stunned about how the incident unfolded.

Delahnie Bain, Reporting

Thaddeus Castillo was murdered in Cotton Tree Village while two others were injured in a span of six hours as a family dispute spiraled out of control.  The dispute began when Ann Young, while in Corozal, received a phone call from her sister-in-law, forty-one year old Jesse Quiros. Young’s nieces were house-sitting in Cotton Tree, but had abandoned the house sitting duties. According to Quiros, she was attacked for telling on them.

Voice of: Jesse Quiros, Mother of Accused Minor

“I neva expect dehn gial fi beat me because yoh know, I tell dehn dehn neva really have to go through all ah dis. If dehn mi listen to me to maybe dis thing neva mi wah happen like dis. Ih noh mi wah end up like dis. But dehn neva listen. Dehn just come and beat up me, shub up my lee gial, slap up my lee gial. Dehn grab my chain, burst my chain, grab my phone, broke up my phone. Di gial come and wap me pan my hand wid wah big piece ah stick, nearly bruck my hand.”

Later on Wednesday night, Young received another phone call.  This time her son delivered the news that her brother, Cardinal Lemmoth, who is also Quiros’ common-law husband, was also badly beaten.

Voice of: Ann Young, Aunt of Deceased

“I call he back and he tell me ma, yoh know weh happen dehn just call di chairman again and tell me dat dehn chop up yoh bredda—dat dah my bredda. I tell ah no man, ih seh yes ma but I si di police vehicle di come. When di police get deh, I seh Dorren ih get chop bad? Ih seh no ma, but ih beat up bad.”

Thaddeus Castillo intervened when Lemmoth was being battered by a group of men. Lemmoth’s son also reportedly came to his rescue, indiscriminately swinging a machete.

Dane Acevedo, Cousin of Thaddeus Castillo

“We approached where there was the altercation with Mister Cardinal Lemmoth and he went and tried to talk to them and tell them cool down, unnu noh really have to go through this. Same time di young bwai come from behind Mr. Cardinal Lemmoth and fire the three chop afta ah.”

Voice of: Ann Young

“My bredda son run deh fi gone help ih pa but instead ah he try help ah inna wah different way, he help ah wid wah machete. But den you have to stand up and watch who di try help you before yoh fire wah chop.”

The crime scene shows that Castillo lost a lot of blood when he received a large chop wound on the head.  He died at about nine Wednesday night at the hospital.  His cousin, Dane Acevedo, who witnessed the chopping, is distraught.

Dane Acevedo

“He was my cousin and also he was like a bother to me because we grew up together. I grew up asking him for advice, asking him what to do in desperate times and it all came to an end.”

Dane Acevedo

Voice of: Ann Young

“Dah wah family and wah family dispute supposed to be quiet within the family. Ih neva had to turn out to be wah murder dat neva have to happen. Ih neva have to happen.”

Delahnie Bain for News Five.

Police have since detained eighteen year old Michael Coye and the minor, both of Cotton Tree Village pending investigation. Arrests have also been made in connection with the murder of Santos Alberto Ramirez, who was stabbed to death in Corozal on July twenty-third. Twenty-two year old Leonides Campos and Joseph Romero were jointly charged for that Murder.