Murder in Belize City

Joseph Almendarez

A life was also lost in Belize City, a place that knows violence all too well.  The violent spate of shootings across the city that killed four men last week continued well into the weekend with two more falling victim to gun violence in the Lake Independence area.  On Friday night, shortly after eight o’clock, a volley of shots was let loose on thirty year old Joseph Almendarez, as he was walking along Mahogany Street.  Almendarez, who lived a block away from where he was fatally shot, was accosted by a trio of men, who opened fire on him.  He was hit a total of seven times to various parts of the body before being left for dead.  At the scene of the crime, forensic technicians recovered as many as nine expended rounds.  According to Police Press Officer Raphael Martinez, despite the detention of one man believed to be connected with the incident, a motive for the murder is yet to be determined.

Raphael Martinez, Police Press Officer

Raphael Martinez

“On Friday, October twenty-sixth, at about 8:20 p.m., police visited the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital where they saw thirty year-old Joseph Hector Almendarez of 6866 Electric Avenue, Belize City with apparent multiple gunshot wounds to the body.  Initial investigations revealed that Almendarez was walking on Mahogany Street, towards the direction of Western Avenue, when, upon reaching the junction with Administration Drive, three male persons, reportedly of Creole descent, passed him and fired several shots at him, causing the fatal injuries.  Joseph Hector Almendarez was taken to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital where he succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead at 8:15 p.m. on the same date, the twenty-sixth of October.  Police have retrieved nine, nine millimeter expended casings from the scene and have detained a Belize City man and are seeking two others in connection with this murder.”

Isani Cayetano

“Can you quantify how many times he was hit?”

Raphael Martinez

“He was hit to the upper left hand, left side of the chest, right rib cage, right lower back, right upper arm, right leg and upper center of his back.”