Police say that an early morning murder may be the work of members of one of the most deadly gangs in Latin America, the "Mara Salvatrucha." At around 5:30 this morning police and fire authorities were called out to number 2 Victoria Street where they found a two-storey apartment on fire. The fire was contained, and inside one of the then rooms authorities found the burnt body of 25 year old Gerson Javier Ramos; he had been stabbed to death and then set on fire. It's a brutal killing capped off by an arson attempt which threatened the two dozen people who live in the building. Police now have strong suspicions that it may be gang-related. We found out why.
Alfonso Noble Reporting,
This morning police detectives and forensic personnel collected evidence at number 2 Victoria Street where the remains of a man was found. Neighbors say that sometime around 5 this morning they had to go to the house to contain the fire.
Neighbor,
"I just heard two of the neighbors around here saying fire was upstairs and when I came out I just saw smoke coming from the rooftop so I went to wake the neighbor at the back and told him a fire was downstairs. Because he lived in the back, he went through the back and opened the door and threw water. One of the boys knocked the door and he said it looked like somebody died because a body was there and so we came downstairs and at the same time the fire struck came."
When investigators went into the house they found 25 year old Honduran national Gerson Javier Ramos. Police say his body was burnt beyond recognition. There was blood all over the house and notably there were also numerous signs around the house to suggest that attempts were made to set the entire house on fire.
Supt. Chester Williams,
"It is obvious that the person inside the house who was inside the house who was burnt was murdered as a stab wound was visible on the right side of the upper chest and blood was also in the house, in the bathroom section. We also found blood on some sheets inside the bathroom. We found inside one of the rooms a sheet that was soaked in kerosene which gives more evidence to suggest that yes the house was set on fire by the person or persons who may have murdered the person who was found inside of the house badly burnt. We are looking at for sure the possibility that it was a murder/arson. After the person was killed, then he was set on fire. Also based on what we were told by our pathologist, Mr. Estradabran is that the person may have been killed last night, sometime before midnight. So it is possible that this person was killed last night and the persons who were responsible came back this morning to set the house on fire with the body inside hoping that the body would have been totally burnt and no one would have known that this person was inside."
Police say that there was no one in the house by the time they arrived on the scene they do know however that a number of persons who were in the house had vacated it yesterday evening
Supt. Chester Williams,
"At the time of the fire we cannot really say whether or not anyone else was inside. But we are looking at the possibility that there could be other persons in the house at the time. But what we also gather from neighbors who live nearby is that those persons who were staying inside the house, seemingly vacated the house yesterday evening and went somewhere else. We have some names of some persons we are looking for, persons who we believe may be able to assist the police in this investigation."
Key in the investigation are the people who were living in the house as well as this pane of glass taken from the house. One piece of it has numerous handprints on it and the other is inscribed by the letters MS as neighbors and police understand it the MS stands for Mara Salvatrucha the largest international Latin gang operating in most Central American countries.
Alfonso Noble,
What kind of thing you said they used to do?
Neighbor,
"Jack people. They call themselves MS-13."
Supt. Chester Williams,
"The Mara Salvatrucha Gang is a group of persons or people that we have came across in Belize. We have been looking at them, we have brought in many of them for profiling and from what we understand, some of these persons were also living in that place so we are looking at that possibility likewise. We are not ruling out anything as we conduct our investigation. Police have visited that house on numerous occasions to conduct search for firearms and drugs."
Because of this those living in the area say today's occurrence was to have been expected.
Neighbor,
"On Saturday night they had a big thing there. One of the man slapped another in his face with a gun and stoned him with a machete in his back. They are not nice. They are like some pirates around here. That is true."
Police are looking for the occupants of the house whom they say can assist them in their investigations. This is the second time this same building has been on fire.
