For the first time in nearly a year, a Chinese businessman was killed last night during an robbery and tonight, well liked Ladyville grocer 31-year-old Wen Ger Zheng has an entire community mourning for him. "Alex" as he was called, was killed inside his store by armed robbers. Keith Swift has the story from no. 54 Marage Road in Ladyville, the address of Alex Supermarket.
Keith Swift Reporting, [keithkswift@gmail.com]
This morning the ugly stain of blood was still on the floor where 31-year-old shopkeeper Wen Jer Zheng, known to most as Alex, died last night. Police say that around 7:30 pm, Alex was in his store when two wearing masks and armed entered. We don't know what happened next but we do know that by the time was all over, Alex was dead.
Police say the robbers shot first and then
demanded money. Alex was shot three times and police recovered one live.25 round in the store. Noemi Mendez lives next door and she says around 7:15 she heard the first shot. It was of concern to her because her son works in Alex's Supermarket.
Noemi Mendez, Neighbor
"When I heard the first shot I got confused and I said, 'my son, my son, my son, and I started to run downstairs. Before I reached to the gate here, the second shot went on and that time my other son upstairs with me followed me, peeped through the window, and Alex was already on the floor, that's he said, and the other guy searching his pocket fired another shot. That was about three shots I heard. He came running again, held me back, my other son, he held back he told me they were in there still shooting. So I while I was up here I saw the two guys running towards my neighbor."
Mendez says she found her son crouched in a corner while Alex was on the ground gasping for air.
Noemi Mendez,
"I went because I was concerned about my son. He was in there. When I got there I asked if my son was there and Alex was dying on the floor. I stood there for a whole hour and no police came. What I saw was a bullet right on his left arm, a tiny little thing here and I said, 'God nobody can do anything,' and he was like already expiring on his last...
When the police came, like a hour later, I don't know what was in there mind. They just came over and told us to move. When I looked, they had my son handcuffed. They had my son in handcuffs and his wrists are still swollen."
And while there was some hysteria about the detention of Mendez's son, he has since been released and is not a suspect. Chief investigator ASP Chester Williams says the motive was robbery.
ASP Chester Williams, C.I.B. Commander
"From our investigations, it is obvious that the motive was robbery. Money was stolen from inside the store. That is all we have discovered so far missing."
Keith Swift,
We know that Alex had a gun. Was he able to use it?
ASP Chester Williams,
"From the investigation, Alex didn't even have time to reach for his firearm. Obviously from what we gathered in investigation, yes as they entered the store, he was shot the first time and thereafter shot two more times."
Keith Swift,
Do you believe that the guys who did this are from this area?
ASP Chester Williams,
"More than likely we do."
Neighbors say this is the third time in four years that thieves have targeted Alex Supermarket. In fact this used to be Moemi Mendez's store but she closed shop after repeated attacks. After last night's terror, she wonders if it is even safe for her to continue living here.
Noemi Mendez,
"I used to have this shop first and I experienced something like that and I said I won't deal with this anymore and I gave it up and he rented it from me and he has been robbed three times. When I saw this,, I said this is not for us to live around here because its so dangerous. You cannot trust anybody."
It's a reality not lost on Alex's best friend Michael Wong. They've been friends for seven years and this morning we met Michael teary eyed at Alex's store.
Michael Wong, Friend
"I feel very hurt now. I feel very bad. I didn't know Belize had people like that. He was a nice guy. He didn't gamble, didn't drink, and he was a nice man...and I don't know why the men came and just shot him like that. I am sorry about it."
And while the motive was robbery - that doesn't answered the question Alex's friends are asking: why?
In April of last year, Chinese businesses across the city shutdown in solidarity after 26-year-old Susan Yue was murdered inside her store in Orange Walk Town. According to our records, while they've been numerous robberies and shootings, that was the last time a grocer was murdered.
