On January 1st 25-year-old Jose Hidalgo would have celebrated his 26th birthday which is on new year's day. But Jose didn't survive to see his 26th birthday or 2007 because he was beaten to death in the Salvapan area of Belmopan early Sunday morning. Police have already charged Jose Carbajal with murder but the Hidalgo family says it was a gang of men that ambushed Jose and they want all involved charged. Keith Swift reports.
Keith Swift Reporting,
Alvaro Hidalgo says his younger brother Jose Hidalgo was killed after an argument began in the Flores Nightclub.
Alvaro Hidalgo, Brother of Deceased
"My brother was beaten and killed right in front of my mother and my mother's house. There were four of the guys. One of them has already been arrested and they arrested the other two that night and did not go for the other one."
Keith Swift,
What did you beat your brother with?
Alvaro Hidalgo,
"They beat me brother with a 'two by four' that had nails. It was three or something like that."
Jose's death was brutal and what's worse is that he was killed in front of his mother. His brother Avaro believes the tensions on Sunday night leading into the early hours of Sunday morning were fuelled by alcohol.
Alvaro Hidalgo,
"They killed my brother because my brother is a person, whenever he consumes alcohol he is you know, and I put it to everybody as well who consumes alcohol, they are very aggressive and you can never understand a person that is consuming alcohol. It was a fight they had within four of them."
Keith Swift,
Over what?
Alvaro Hidalgo,
"About the drunkedness because my brother never had been in gangs. My brother was an electrician and he was always involved in work, construction, and he has never been a gang member or nothing."
Nephtali Vanegas is a close friend and neighbor of the Hidalgo family. He says that it'll be in the best interest of their community to close down the Flores Bar.
Nephtali Vanegas, Resident
"That bar needs to get closed for safety for the people back there, that is important."
Keith Swift,
Why do you say that?
Nephtali Vanegas,
"Because every year you have a murder there. Every time they kill people there. That happens every time so I think they should close that bar."
Of course all Alvaro and his family want right now is justice.
Alvaro Hidalgo,
"My brother got killed by some guys, some boys, some crowd that we would call gangs in Salvapan and I feel bad about it right. I feel about it and I really want justice for my brother's death."
As mentioned earlier, Jose Carbajal, a Salvadoran national, has been charged for murder.
