An argument over a missing bicycle escalated into a murder outside a Belize City nightclub late Friday night. 18-year-old Tiquan Emmanuel was with friends at the International Player's Pub on Western Avenue when he was approached by a man known only as "Yankee." Yankee's bike was allegedly missing and he went to Tiquan for answers. When Tiquan told him he didn't know what happened to the bike, the night took a bloody turn. A female friend of Tiquan explained it to us today.
Natalie Hamilton, Friend
"Yankee went straight to Tiquan and told him that he saw who went with the bike. He stabbed Tiquan the first time and it hit him somewhere on the left hand side of his chest. Afterwards he pulled Tiquan in the shirt and I guess to make his leave him alone, Tiquan told him he would tell him who it was. Tiquan then got up and Yankee stabbed him another time in his chest and then he pulled Tiquan off the verandah and Tiquan started to stumble and Yankee started to fire stabs after anyone who tried to help Tiquan. Then I saw Tiquan stumbled through two houses and landed on a septic tank and then I tried to go towards him but Yankee had the knife. After Yankee I went there and I lifted up Tiquan's head and he vomited all over me. He then jumped out of my hand and he run. I ran behind him and I don't know what happened after that because I just started to bawl. I reached the hospital, he didn't exactly die yet, but one of our friends went in and when he came out back he told us the man went left us.
This is hard because me and him have been hanging together and it's the first time something like this has happened to me. You could say he partly died in my hand because I know he would have died when I saw him. He was a nice person and he didn't mess with anyone. He had just given me 25 cents to go and buy mint sweets and I didn't get the mint sweets so I still have the 25 cents."
Elida Bonnell, Took Care of Tiquan
"He was sleeping behind the house and I put him in the old shop to stay. He was a respectful boy and he had manners and respect. When he went out the night I didn't know where he went and he is not a boy who usually goes out. Those boys told me he went to look for some girls and when he heard where he was, it was because they had killed him. I was surprised he is not a child I used to see doing anything wrong, I was surprised."
Tonight, police are still seeking the prime suspect identified only by his alias, which is "Yankee." Tiquan Emmanuel was recently released from prison. He has no close relatives in Belize and so Elida Bonnell, who took Tiquan under her roof, is willing to bury him provided she is assisted with the funeral expenses.
