They were two men living and working in Belize City but the destinies of 42-year-old Robert Flowers and 72 year old Ascencion Cruz might never have crossed if they had not been the victims of slayings staged on the city streets within 7 hours of each other.
That's what happened between last night and this morning when in unrelated events, terminal violence was inexplicably visited upon these two individuals: one looking for work, the other known as the city's hardest working food vendor. Alfonso has the story of these two truly senseless killings.
Alfonso Noble Reporting,
At around 10:45 last night Robert Flowers was returning home after going to buy some ice. He was riding his bicycle through this alley behind the Port Loyola library when he was attacked. He was shot in the right side of his shoulder but he somehow managed to run from his attacker, falling down three times before he was finally unable to get up again. A neighbor recounts what she heard and saw.
Eyewitness to Robert Flowers' Murder,
"I heard the bullets. I heard like they shot him first and then after that I heard like he hollered for help and I saw him coming by the phone booth then he dropped. Then he started coming here hollering for help and when he reached here, I hollered for my boyfriend to come and help him. My boyfriend went to help him then after that my boyfriend sent a boy to go and call his family from around the yard and then all of them came running through the yard."
He was taken to the KHMH in this van but died at around midnight last night. With the bloodstains from this crime still fresh, just 7 hours later, 72-year-old Ascencion Cruz would also be killed in the mean streets of the city. His wife of the past 18 years Aura Luz Gamez says he left home at around 7 this morning to look for a job and was returning home when he was attacked here on East Collet Canal by someone who stabbed him to death.
Aura Luz Gamez, Ascension Cruz's Wife
"They come and just told that they were trying to rob him and they stabbed him and he died."
Sadly, what connects these killings is that both men were known to be hard working and very productive. Flowers was a widely known conch fritters salesman who would make rounds on his bicycle year round, carrying this ice box full of fritters. His sister Patricia Norris says she never expected him to die like this.
Patricia Norris, Robert Flowers' Sister
"When we went to the morgue this morning we were told that he got a close shot with a 16 gauge shotgun and it ruptured everything, all his vitals - everything that was important to keep him alive was ruptured and he died."
"We know it is out there but we never thought it would knock on our door. My brother used to sell his fritters, he goes out there and works hard for his family and I mean everybody have their little ups and downs. Him and his wife had their ups and downs but they've been together for many years. Nobody expected she would lose him this kind of way. This is terrible this is totally terrible. We didn't expect to lose him like this."
The same is said about 73 year old Cruz. His wife is still in shock and today grieving family members sent a chilling wail through the neighborhood as they lamented the death of the elderly man who was out simply looking for a job.
Aura Luz Gamez,
"He went to see about a job on East Canal. He was not a person that was on street the drink. He was a respectable person and he went to look for a job. He went to look for a job and was heading back home because he had then gone to the market to buy beans and thing but he couldn't reach back."
And both men who were unable to get back home leave behind those who depended on them.
Aura Luz Gamez,
"God give me the strength so I could try with my children because I got six kids but two of them are already big and four of them are going to school. I have to take care of them right."
Patricia Norris,
[Pointing to kids] "These are our worries right here. I mean two small children are without a father in Belize where it is so hard right now. Can you imagine how these kids will survive without a father who has been supporting and maintaining them from birth?"
Police have recovered the knife that was used to kill Ascencion Cruz and suspect that the motive was robbery. There is no clear motive yet established in the Flowers killing. No suspects have been detained for either crime.