Belmopan Comprehensive student murdered

Yamani Aguirre

The Belize City streets have been relatively free from bloodshed for a few days. But an argument in the capital has left one teen dead. Tragedy struck a family in the Salvapan Area of the Capital when a sixteen year old student of Belmopan Comprehensive School died after he was stabbed once to the chest with a machete. Yamani Aguirre was to start third form at the start of the school year. It is alleged Aguirre was mortally wounded while running to the aid of his younger sister who was being assaulted by another student. 

Duane Moody, Reporting

The pools of blood show that something went awfully wrong on Thursday night in the Salvapan Area of the Capital. Sixteen year old Yamani Aguirre, who also goes by the name of Yasmani Mejia, was stabbed with a machete to his right chest next door to his house around eight-thirty p.m.

Fitzroy Yearwood

Insp. Fitzroy Yearwood, Police Press Officer

“Around 8:55p.m., police visited the Western Regional Hospital where they saw the lifeless body of Yasmani Mejia, sixteen years student of number eight Guyana Street, San Martin Area in Belmopan City. He had a large stab wound to the right side of the chest. Our investigation reveals that Jesus Enrique Flores, a nineteen year old student, of number nine Guyana Street, was involved in an altercation with Mejia where he inflicted the fatal stab wound.”

It was a fight that turned deadly. Aguirre’s sister, fifteen year old Johanna, reportedly went across the street to the residence of nineteen year old Jesus Enrique Flores to find out the reason for the fight. It is at this point Johanna says she was assaulted with a machete and Aguirre came to her aid. That move cost him his life.

Johanna Aguirre

Johanna Aguirre, Sister of Deceased

“I went to ask Enrique what was the problem with my brother. So he just attempted to rape me. And when I was hailing at my brother, shouting at him, he just grabbed the machete and he slapped me on my face and my brother came after him.  After that happened, I saw a big bunch of them fighting and then after a while I heard my brother got stabbed, but I didn’t know where he got stabbed till this morning they told me ih dead.”

The blood-soaked clothing of his classmate and friend, Allen Echeverria, shows the extent of blood that Aguirre loss. Echeverria says Yamani died in his hands.

Allen Echeverria

Allen Echeverria, Friend of Deceased

“The boy went into his house, took out a machete and I just saw when he took out the machete, Yasmani grabbed a big rock. Before that the boy slapped Johanna—well it didn’t look like a slap; it looked like he wanted to chop her. He lost a lot of blood because when my brothers were taking him out, I was holding him and I felt like mien, that he almost died in my hand. And my brothers took him away from me and when I saw myself, I was just like. it was like he was bathing me with blood—I was very bloody that day from head to toe.”

Aguirre was rushed to the Western Regional Hospital in the trunk of a taxi and was pronounced dead on arrival. Both Johanna and Echeverria say that they will miss his vibrant personality.

Johanna Aguirre

“I will miss my brother because he was my favorite brother because he was the only one who show me that he loves me a lot. He used to tell me that I have to take care of myself because I’m pretty and I need to study hard and when I grow up he wants to see me in an office.”

The accused, Flores, has since been detained by police and an investigation is ongoing. Duane Moody for News Five.