Last night we reported on the killing of 50-year-old San Pedro security guard Antonio Almendarez who was killed while he was on duty at Fido's. Last night he may have been just another saddening statistic to add to this year's alarming crime profile, tonight we take a look at the family that criminals took a father and husband away from.
Alfonso Noble Reporting, [alfnoble@yahoo.com]
2-year-old Kerona and 4 year old Emile looked at pictures of their father, 50 year old Antonio Almendarez, today as they waited at the KHMH along with their mother for doctors to finish his post mortem. For these children, pictures are all they have left of their father who was killed yesterday morning at Fido's in San Pedro. Their mother Albertina now questions the motive for her husband's killing.
Albertina Almendarez, Wife of Murder Victim
"Its very difficult to know that at work they did it and what really really hurts is that although they hit him, they tied him up, and they left him to die. They stole from the place and that wasn't satisfactory, they went and stole from him. They stole his cell phone and other stuff off his body. I am still in shock. I saw him and I still can't believe it happened and why did it happen. My husband was not a person to hurt nobody and there's a lot of people that say things like that and they may not believe me saying it but I am telling the truth, my husband is not a person to hurt anybody. My husband is a person that loves people; he is a people person. I just hope they get the people them that did it or the person and make sure they never do it again."
Even so Albertina says she'd like those responsible for the killing of her husband to know that what they've done has left two very young children, fatherless.
Albertina Almendarez,
"Its really hard because I don't condemn people and my husband doesn't condemn people either. The only thing that I really want is for them to see these kids that they left fatherless. I am not worried much about myself, it is my kids. I would like for them to either be in jail or if they are not in jail to please don't try and go do that to somebody else again. I would also want the parents of those kids to see what they did. If it was my son, I would not help him because if he comes out free he can go and do it again.
It's a great loss...and he won't be around to show the love to his kids as he was doing before. Right now my memory is of the way he looks but I guess after, or whenever I get over it, I guess its going to be the memory of the loving father he was and the loving husband."
Alfonso Noble,
Are you missing him yet?
Albertina Almendarez,
"Yes I am badly. We left at 3 o'clock that evening, the day before he got killed. We were at San Pedro with him and I brought the kids to Corozal on the 3 o'clock boat and that's the last time we saw him."
Now this wife is left all alone to fend for two very young children - who will suffer most as a consequence of these extreme crimes.
A post mortem examination conducted this afternoon certified the cause of death as asphyxia as a result of the cloth that was stuffed inside his mouth.
