Police investigates death of Tyson Rodriguez
An internal police investigation is underway in the death of a Dangriga resident who police detained following the burglary of a Canadian couple in Placencia. And it appears that the official police information is not adding up with the results of a post mortem. On Thursday night, the home of the couple was burglarized and they were badly beaten. One of the suspects was picked-up by the police and admittedly handcuffed and placed in the pan of a police vehicle and here is where it gets strange. Soon after, the body of twenty-seven year old Tyson Rodriguez was retrieved from the sea; cause of death is asphyxiation. Duane Moody was in Placencia today and has this story.
Duane Moody, Reporting
A series of unfortunate events that ended with the demise of an alleged assailant has led to the launch of both a criminal and an internal investigation by the Commissioner of Police.
It started back on Thursday night when a Canadian couple, living in the Plantation Area of the Placencia Peninsula, was attacked by three male persons. They were brutally beaten and tied up inside their home by the perpetrators, who then burglarized the home and escaped with their white GMC Envoy SUV.
Inspector Mark Flowers, O.C., Placencia Police
Inspector Mark Flowers
“A Canadian retired couple who owns property up there. Mister Baier was seen with multiple facial injuries and his wife was obviously savagely beaten earlier. She had her face really swollen; in fact, the extent of her injuries resulted in three fractured area to her face and the eye socket. They reported that about an hour or so earlier that evening, about eight o’clock, they were at home; Mister Baier was standing on the sea side and his wife was in the house, when out of nowhere, three male persons of dark complexion one proceeded to hit Mister Baier causing him to fall and then the other two ran up the stairs and attacked the wife. They then dragged him on to the beach, went back into the house, search the house stole all their monies, some electronic devices and the key to a white GMC Envoy SUV.”
An alert was immediately sent to all police formations to look out for the vehicle as it was believed that they fled and were heading towards Belmopan. But it was in a feeder road off the Chan Chen Road between Xaibe and Patchakan Villages in Corozal that the SUV was abandoned. And a short distance away, twenty-seven year old Tyson Rodriguez, one of the suspects, was spotted.
Inspector Mark Flowers
“They were transported back to Belmopan from where we picked them up; that’s Tyson Rodriguez and the vehicle. Brought him to Placencia and Tyson was locked down.”
According to Officer in Charge of the Placencia Police Formation, Inspector Mark Flowers, Rodriguez had offered to take the officers to recover the loot from the burglary and while transporting him, he jumped from the vehicle and ran into nearby bushes. Less than twenty minutes later, his body was found floating in the sea.
Inspector Mark Flowers
“The police were in the process of transporting him to that area and he jumped from the pan of this vehicle and ran towards the sea. The police did not immediately pursue him because he ran through that swampy area. And the police did not go behind him in the swamp instead they went around and tried to cut him off.”
Duane Moody
“He was still handcuffed at this point in time?”
Inspector Mark Flowers
“Yes he was still handcuffed.” My brief, what they told me, is that some twenty minutes later whilst they were still up in that area and searching for Tyson, they were indicated to by the security at the Chabil Resort who signaled to them that there was somebody in the sea. As a consequence they went over there and readily identified the person as the now deceased, Tyson Rodriguez.”
Rodriguez, it is reported, is no stranger to the law and has been fingered in several incidents of a similar nature. But his death is still under question and as such senior officials from the department have been deployed to the peninsula to investigate.
Inspector Mark Flowers
“I don’t want to speculate on what might or might not have happened. The concerns are such that even at the very top of this police department, they share the same concern and we want to know exactly what it is that went amiss. The commissioner has, as a matter of fact, ordered two investigations to run simultaneously—one is to determine if there is any procedural or administrative wrongdoing and the other is to determine whether there is any criminal wrongdoing and if there is, who is culpable.”
Police have one person in detention, but say that a third suspect is yet to be identified. Duane Moody for News Five.
In recent times, there have been four men aside from Rodriguez who have died under questionably circumstances involving the police. Rasheed Elijio, Bucko T, Ricky Valencia and Arthur Young all died while in police custody.
One less criminal. He got away with so many things his luck simply ran out. Yes police shouldnt have killed him, but he was probably there mouthing off at them. It is a risk of his “trade.” His family admits he wasnt a saint. Sadly, he would have been found not guilty by our broken court system so in the end-this is still justice. Who bex bex. In the old English days, kids were hanged for stealing also.
Why I cannot feel sorry when a criminal dies? He neva kill anybody? was just a matter of time, just looking at the last victims they beat up….good riddance, good job police!!
Damn criminals close di case and lets move on, one down a thousand still out there hurting innocent people.
Mein the above comments are harsh
But i feel the exact same way – i know this fella and he did something similair to this a few years ago.
You live by the gun you die by the gun – he lived a life of crime and a crime cost him his life
He did the same thing to the old man. Just that not even that he could do good. What they expect that thwy harras the public and then go to Kolby and live off my Tax dollars. Until some smart ass lawyer comes and points out misplaced phrases or grammatical errors on charge sheet. Totally disregarding the facts of the case. AND Judges agreeing with them and BINGO the criminal walks free to do it again like this guy had done.
I am never in agreement with police as total judge and jury, that is a dangerous thing for all of us who could become victims, however, these thieves who do not want to work for anything must be taught a lesson. He died from asphyxiation, which means he was strangled not drowned in the sea.
Read the tea leaves, some one hands was around his neck, then he was thrown in the water.
The courts fail the honest people, so vigilante justice is the next thing. Honest people work for their things and these thieves just want to come in an take it away, people need to stay armed in their homes and shoot the bastards.
I laugh when I see the tourism commercial that says “Belize is a safe place to retire” , that is a bunch of bulls$$$. As soon as you build yourself a nice house, drive a nice car, and is a foreigner, there is a bulls eye on you, now you are a target. Remember McAfee, many would not listen to him, they said he was lying. I believe even some in government target the rich foreigners. This is just my personal belief, but I truly believe he said no to a shakedown by someone in government and was made a scapegoat.
NEXT!!!!
He was a criminal yes and I share the same centiments by nature as most of the above comments…who cares about a criminal…he got what he deserves…etc, but if our police officers will become judge jury and executioner our society would have sunk a couple steps lower closer to degradation. What needs to happen is our police and procecution needs to develop better investigative skills so that those that commit crimes are more sure of punishment by means of the criminal justice system. Sad!
Congrats to the Police Department and kudos to the police officers involved in killing this slime bucket piece of vermin.
What else can I say? Congrats to the police! Yes, the free loading family is going to sue. Let them sue, then silently settle the score with them all, one by one.
Come on Belize. It is time we start standing up for something. Either we support the police, or these low life criminals. Criminals like Rodriguez do more damage to our tourist industry, than one hundred crooked Penners and Castros.
It is a very sad state of affairs when our sense of justice is seemingly served more efficiently outside the rule of law.
I can understand the rage that would allegedly suffocate this man in the beach sand. He would likely be freed by our courts, possibly due to the inefficiency of the DPP (who I think must be held somewhat responsible for the lack of case-building skills within the Police department).
I can also understand the sense of relief after this alleged vigilante’s action.
Society’s vengeance has been served…..pray that the tortured victims recover quickly.
Good Job Police. Until now uno the step up.
It goes to show that Belize-ans are happy with the out come of this guy. I have no sympathy for his family, as they created this monster, now he can’t harm no more. I stand to defend the Police Department for a job well done.
Belize is small and when ever you hurt a north american it comes back and the whole of Belize suffers the wrong of one criminal.
The Police said they have a system to look out for criminals, well it worked, and keep it up.
“Sounds like a Amber alert system” and power to the people who spotted him.
Know where a criminal is Text location to police Department
” Police i hope could use MMS via cell phone to look for suspects also.”
Extrajudicial killings are prevalent in most third world countries. Belize seems to be catching up. Tyranny here we come.
Thinking of Dave & Yvonne – the victims here. Prayers from Canada are with you.
To the Placencia Police Department, Thank you! Thank you! Way to Go! Buy any means necessary keep these low life and scumb bags out of Placencia. If our legal system and Belizean citizeans can’t convict these criminals, then do what is necessary especially when there is a proven history that these individuals have been a menes to our society.
Well done. Thanks!
As much as we scream for vigilante justice how come I don’t see the same law enforcement officers executing the same swift justice on Dean Barrow, Gaspar VEGA, Castro and Penner who are the biggest thieves who have robbed our entire country not only of its dignity but also of its wealth. I will start to applaud when those necks start to roll and not the necks of hustlers who themselves are victims of the same corrupt system.
I am not normally a fan of this type of justice but Dave and Yvonne are two of the most down to earth nice people and I am not losing any sleep over this animal, Tyson. Dog rules say first bite free, this dog was way past his first bite and a lot of nice people would be much better off if this had happened much earlier.