Accused in High Profile Crimes; Ricky Valencia Murdered
Ricky Valencia
Ricky Valencia, the notorious street figure accused in the Heritage Bank robbery and the attempted murder of attorney Rowell Williams, was killed on Wednesday night and there is now trepidation that retaliation may follow. Two weeks ago, he was in court for Williams’ attempted murder; but the case was adjourned since he was unable to get legal representation. It is believed that Valencia was baited to his murder as he drove his vehicle on Caesar Ridge Road. Three bullets hit him on the upper body and he died on the passenger side of his car. His family says his murder is not entirely surprising; there were constant threats to his life. There is plenty speculation over the motive for his killing but the most plausible seems to be linked to the proceeds of the Heritage Bank robbery. News Five’s Isani Cayetano reports.
Allen Valencia, Brother of Deceased
“Ih mi expected, you know, dat da di way I sih it. Ih mi expected. Da neva nothing surprising then. Di whole family mi aware that something mi about to occur, you know, so da noh nothing surprising to be honest.”
By all accounts twenty-eight year old Ricky Valencia had been living on borrowed time. The reputed member of SSG gained notoriety, both in the media as well as in the streets of south side Belize City, following the attempted murder of attorney Rodwell Williams, the prime minister’s law partner, on June 1st, 2010.
Raphael Martinez
Along with eighteen year old Akeem Thurton, he had been fingered as one of two assassins hired to execute Williams.
On Wednesday night he met his fate whilst seated in the passenger side of this vehicle.
Raphael Martinez, PR, Ministry of Police
“Last night just after nine o’clock police visited the Queen Charlotte Street area where they saw a white, four door Toyota Corolla car parked on the left hand side of the road heading towards the Belize port. Upon looking inside they saw the apparent lifeless body of Ricky Valencia, twenty-eight years old, of a Belize City address.”
That address has since been confirmed as Caesar Ridge Road. Valencia was dispensed with less than a stone’s throw away from home. One of several rounds fired at him shattered the Corolla’s windshield.
Allen Valencia
His bullet riddled body left slumped inside the vehicle which remained parked adjacent to Cumberbatch Field.
Allen Valencia
“I figa dat di conspiracy big, dat da weh I figa, big conspiracy but everything da fi di Fada noh.”
Ricky’s sibling, Allen Valencia, believes that he may have been lured to his death. The vicinity, as well as the manner in which he was dispatched, indicates that he may have stopped to converse with or pick up someone when he was assaulted.
Raphael Martinez
“He was hit three times, his left temple, shoulder and arm.”
Isani Cayetano
“My understanding is that there were several other occupants in the vehicle along with him, who are currently hospitalized as a result of this incident. Can you speak to that?”
Raphael Martinez
“Well at this time police have actually interviewed quite a few people and we have gotten absolutely no lead in relation to the shooting incident but I’m sure that they will actually look in to that and see if there is any relation.”
Valencia, having faced a slew of charges ranging from attempted murder to armed robbery, was the first defendant to appear before Chief Justice Kenneth Benjamin in a trial by judge alone. That case was adjourned for a second time on February eighth when his co-conspirator in the near fatal shooting of Rodwell Williams failed to secure legal representation.
Allen Valencia
“My understanding is that he just mi di wait fi di case call, you know, but I noh really wahn lament pan di case to much, you know, cause I noh wahn pinpoint or point finga pan nobody.”
Had he been found guilty for the crime of attempted murder, Valencia would have faced a minimum of eighteen years in prison. On April fifth last year Ricky, his brother Harold Valencia, former beauty queen Samantha Carlos, as well as Noel Usher, were jointly charged with conspiracy to commit robbery following a daring heist at Heritage Bank in Orange Walk Town.
Several months later, on October nineteenth, Valencia’s accomplice, Noel Usher, was ruthlessly terminated on neighboring Queen Charlotte Street. It was widely speculated that Usher was expunged as a result of infighting over robbery proceeds. Conversely, residents and acquaintances of both men theorized that Usher was killed because he accepted a plea-bargain for which he was scheduled to testify against Valencia.
Despite being vilified Allen maintains that Ricky was an easygoing person.
Allen Valencia
“All weh I could say di man da mi wah cool person. Di man straight, di man level, at least to me, you know.”
Reporting for News Five, I am Isani Cayetano.
Valencia was in and out of court for numerous offences. He was granted bail on the charge of Attempted Murder in July 2011, but that was revoked when he was arrested for Handling Stolen Goods in October. Valencia, however, was back on the streets when the victim withdrew the charge against him on January twenty-fourth. He was scheduled to reappear in court along with Akeem Thurton on February twenty-seventh for the Attempted Murder of Rodwell Williams.
This case look real funny to me why was he not in police custody if he was being charged for attempted murder why was he not in police custody somebody no mi wa some kind of information get out I hope the next defendant no end up the same way .
we already know what happened here, no need to get into details. Case Closed.
I believe he was set free to be executed street style so a thug is not sent in again to live from our tax payers money. In one way we feel safe to see a thug gone but really life is crazy now in belize.
LIVE BY THE GUN AND YOU DIE BY THE GUN…
I’m sorry for his close family and friends because no matter how bad someone is he is always love by his people…
He did a lot of bad things to a lot of people and now justice is served!
You might be able to beat the court system but you can not beat the justice of the Lord!
And the lawyers like to say “they have a right to bail.” If this man was not given bail he would at least be alive even if he was remanded.
You live by the gun…..you die by the gun. NEXT!!!!!
R.I.P. ricky SSG 4life …KILLA never die , cs
yeah no point in investigating this case, just close the books and move on and hope to see more of the kind go like this too….
Maybe his body can still go on trial…
be reel, do you really beleive the Rodwell Williams attempted murder was random. it cannot be case closed if we don’t know who masterminded that hit.
PRAISE THE LORD! One less demon on the streets of Belize.
OUT IN THE STREETS, they cal it MURDER…. STREET JUSTICE strikes again!!!
@southsider…YOU HAVE A POINT…Who ordered THE HIT ON RODWELL????
It’s true, whenever he’s accused, his trials never last enough to make it to a conviction… tainted name…. Nevertheless, as a childhood friend of mine, Ricky was a jovial person. He was always joking around even when behind bars, and he see me going to his cell or just passing through the prison, Ricky always had something funny to say and always respectful. I’m sadden by this lost but rest assured that this is the will of Allah. Levels Allen, chu, the man mi cool and like yo seh, everything da fi di fada. Insha’Allah, my condolence to his family. From God we come and to Him we return.
I wish our criminal justice system worked efficiently and fairly, but it does not.
I think Valencia was one of about 100 career criminals who are responsible for more than half the murders and violent crime in the country. I support forming a special squad of BDF and the BEST police to hunt down the other 99 and get rid of them once and for all, one way or another.
We will all live better and longer if that could happen.
Between 2003 and 2004, i was a security guard on carribean tobacco company on clelghorn street under KBH. a belizen woman contacted MR R V to put me down. because i refuse her relastionship offer to me.. mr valencia pulled up at my work post on clegghorn st that evening and fired two shots at me on close range, But with ALMIGHTY GOD with me , he missed his target . and speed off towards doglas jones street on his byc. here comes the police , after my recorded statement and investigation police couldnt find mr R.V. the shooter. after i showed them his picture on the police computer. i thanked GOD for saving me from RV the shotest man with the biggest creminal mind… who live by the gun die by the gun .. mr RV, i have forgiven you. RIP..
Between 2003 and 2004, i was a security guard officer of KBH security company posted at caribean tobacco company at cleghorn street belize city. i hard a problem with a belizen woman by the name of vicky. this woman offered me a relationship which i refuse and she contacted mr ricky valencia to put me down. one night i was a my work post at caribean tobacco company on cleghorn street between the hours of 11.30pm when mr R V pulled up with a byc near the security boot and pulled out a 9mm gun and fired three shot at me but bean that ALMIGHT GOD is with me, he missed me and ride off towards doglass jones. after police investigation they said they couldnt fine the shouter. mr RV the shotest street demon of belize city. the shotest crimenal with the deadest hart.i have forgiven you. RIP.
this must be good, he get full coverage on the news and on the papers full front page, dude you large but you dead too. but still he almost as large as george price
i hate when people say “he was cool, he was a nice person”. they full of it, he was a “monster” that got what was coming to him.
Let me tell u ppl something… Ricky was a human being like everyone else and even though he was accused of amny crimes, he was never convicted or found guilty and the law says that u are innocent until proven guilty, so to me he was innocent in everything they say he did. My heart goes out to all his family and may the retaliation begin because he did not deserve to die this way.
Life goes on
Ricky u are really being missed….. I love you B!!!!