Is family feud behind execution of 17 yr. old in Cayo?

The Cayo District is sometimes referred to as the wild, wild west … but that slogan was never meant to describe the kind of deadly violence that is occurring there with alarming frequency. The latest outrage took place last night in the usually peaceful village of Cristo Rey, when a young woman was murdered in what can only be called an execution.

Jacqueline Godwin, Reporting
Seventeen year old Pricilla Arcenia Tzib was taken to this outhouse at the back of the family?s property and shot in the head.

Antonina Aguirre, Sister of Deceased
?My little sister they took her back there in the dark and then I just heard the gunshot. I do not know why they killed my little sister.?

Nineteen year old Antonina Aguirre was holding her one month old baby when she says two young men wearing no masks stormed into the kitchen around eight on Tuesday night. The assailants described as clear and dark complexioned men were armed with a machete and a gun.

Antonina Aguirre
?One clear skin, tall and thin and the next one was fat and wasn?t too tall and was dark skin.?

Jacqueline Godwin
?Have you seen them before??

Antonina Aguirre
?Never. Only last night. They just come here. They gone into that house and when they saw nobody they gone into the kitchen and they put my mama on the floor with the gun. And then they went inside and took us all out from inside and pointed at us all with the gun.?

Aguirre says the men asked them where they could find one Angel Tzib. Her mother told them that she doe not know anyone by that name. Shortly after that they pulled her younger sister outside the house to her death.

Antonina Aguirre
?Because I was holding my little baby only my ma ran, and when she ran my little sister was dead. They shot her right here.?

After shooting Pricilla at very close range the men ran into the bushes. The commotion brought many angry villagers out to the scene. Some of them even tried to catch the gunmen but to no avail.

Ignacia Reyes, Cousin of Deceased
?I do not know how many people. They ran up and down. You even had some guys that run them down, but they did not catch them. They said that they went into the bush, so I don?t know what happened but it is so very sad.?

At this time San Ignacio police do not have a motive for the cold blooded killing but they have detained two persons in connection with the incident.

Jacqueline Godwin
?Do the police have a pretty good idea of who they are looking for??

Sgt. Enrique Aldana, Lead Investigator
?We have detained three suspects. Interviewing with them is presently going on.?

However, as we spoke with family members they started telling us about a year old dispute they have with one of their relatives that they believe led to the shooting. The family says the situation got worse four months ago following the marriage of Consuelo and Reynaldo Tzib. Aguirre says among the wedding gifts their brother received was a parcel that contained a dead black cat allegedly sent by the family they say has been terrorizing them. It is still a mystery why the union would have caused things to escalate between the families but Aguirre believes it was her sister in law that the men wanted to kill when they came to the house. Aguirre says they have made reports to the police but nothing was done to help them.

Antonina Aguirre
?My brother they broke his hand right there by the junction and the police didn?t do anything. And then they tried to burn our house and they didn?t do anything too. They didn?t put attention. When my brother went to report it the police told him that, he wants more problems, only that they told him and they didn?t do anything until now when my sister get killed. I think they were looking for my sister-in-law but they just said that they were looking for Angel Tzib.?

Jacqueline Godwin
?I understand that the family has been having a problem with a specific neighbour for some time over your sister-in-law, what is the problem here??

Antonina Aguirre
?I do not know why. Just because she married with my brother and he took her out, because she was selling at the bar. That is what I think, but I don?t know why.?

Ignacia Reyes
?Since my cousin tek this girl from Melchor the problem start. They always been cussing them and they get into fights and so right.?

Jacqueline Godwin
?The family, they strongly believe that this murder is a result of an old family dispute is the police investigating this murder from that angle, or do you believe something else may be involved here??

Sgt. Enrique Aldana
?We are looking at all angles with this murder. We are doing the elimination process to this and nothing will be left uncovered.?

Lead investigator Sgt. Enrique Aldana says they are also trying to find out why the men asked for one Angel Tzib and if he can provide the answers they want. Despite their denial to the killers, the family does have an uncle named Angel Tzib.

Jacqueline Godwin
?Today the peaceful community of Cristo Rey remain in shock. The villagers say they did not expect that the old family dispute would end in murder. They are hoping that the authorities will now do something to help restore peace in the neighbourhood before another life is taken.?

Sgt. Enrique Aldana
?We are planning to have a meeting with the community at Cristo Rey. We spoke to them yesterday; in fact the officer commanding was out there last night talking to them.?

Jacqueline Godwin
?Do you think the situation will escalate or do you believe that the community once and for all will try to get together and end the dispute between both families??

Ignacia Reyes
?I believe that that is what the community should do. The policemen should work hard with the community so that they can settle this matter. It is very sad because they always have a problem with those people. This is not the first time.?

Seventeen year old Pricilla Arcenia Tzib was the family?s youngest daughter. She is described as being a friendly teenager who tried to stay away from the troubles her family experienced as a result of the dispute.

As San Ignacio police try to solve their latest murder they are still working to find out why six members of the Mayen family were killed and burned inside their home Monday night at Iguana Creek. Today Sgt. Aldana told News Five that a second person has been detained for questioning in that investigation. And the watchman? Cops say Roberto Pinenda is still at the police station but is expected to be released shortly.