No fuel in car, then rider shoots and kills

John Gideon Jr.

There was another murder on Friday night. The victim is John Gideon Junior, and employee of San Pedro Belize Express who you will recognize from a radio and television ad for the water taxi. In fact, it was the company’s shirt he was wearing that led to confirmation of his identity. The father of two was found lifeless on the George Price Highway; all that is known so far is that his vehicle had run out of fuel and he was walking to Hattieville when he was shot and killed. News Five’s Isani Cayetano spoke to family members and has this report. 

Isani Cayetano, Reporting

Thirty-two year old John Gideon Jr. had only just pulled over on the shoulder of the George Price Highway, after running out of fuel near mile seventeen, when he was fatally wounded by a lone gunman.  The shooting incident happened sometime before midnight on Friday.  His wife, Doreth Dominguez, who was at home with their two children, was notified the following morning.

Doreth Dominguez, Wife of Deceased

“I could recall we mi deh home di drink me and he and two ah he friend come by and then aftawards he ker dehn home and dat dah di last time I sih he.”

John’s younger sibling Jessica later identified the body at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital.  Thereafter she was informed that the corpse had been picked up by an officer attached to the Hattieville Police Substation.

Jessica Gideon

Jessica Gideon, Sister of Deceased

“Di policeman, I noh quite remember ih name, but he told me that when he found John on the roadside with a bullet in his head and probably one in the back, he told me that he neva sure weh paat John live because ih noh look familiar to him at Hattieville.  Actually, he actually moved there three months ago and he actually bring John down to the morgue, went because I think he had on his shirt San Pedro Belize Express, and he seh he wait da di job until ih open and then he describe John to the workers and dah then dehn tell ahn how da John Gideon.”

His vehicle, seen here, was parked on the side of the road in the direction of Belmopan.  It is reported that Gideon then removed the battery and began walking towards the village.  A few hundred feet away from a bus stop someone rode past him on a bicycle, returned and opened fire.

Doreth Dominguez

Doreth Dominguez

“When we gaan da di police station da Hattieville fi get di car no gas, so I think he mussi mi run out ah gas and that’s why he end up di stop pan di roadside.”

Isani Cayetano

“My understanding is that you guys are fairly new to the Hattieville area, you recently moved that side.  Do you know if, by any chance, he had any misunderstanding with anybody else in that community?”

Doreth Dominguez

“No.  No.  Like he dah well, like everybody know he like he well mannerly and so.  He noh have no problem wid nobody.  He dah from work to home and he love ih family, only fi he family he could talk ‘bout.”

Tonight John’s children are without a father.

Doreth Dominguez

“Ih sad because then dah something sudden, yoh know, and then I have two kids now weh I have to be ma and pa fa and my daughter only six, my son just one year and two months and he hurt me because yesterday morning when my daughter wake up ih gaan eena deh bed with ih grandpa and then fi he car park eena our yard and then my son haul di curtain and dehn he sih di car right and then so he said, ‘Dada’ and then she tell ahn, “Jyron, daddy dead ih noh wah come back and dat hurt me because he mi into ih kids dehn.”

Jessica Gideon

“End ah di day I’m just trying to hold up because we all come to die.  You never know when you’re going to die, we don’t come to live forever but da just di way how di situation happened.”

Reporting for News Five, I am Isani Cayetano.