Christina Zetina – she was shot by a man in a jealous and deranged rage at the end of January. Since then, we’ve followed her story – as she wrestled with this random and unwarranted shooting that has changed her life forever. And while stories of domestic violence and abuse are not new to Belize – this kind of gender based violence is as terrifying because Christina Zetina was shot because she was a woman desired by a man – almost a stranger – who was frustrated that he could not have her. It is a simple story but a complex tragedy –and Jacqueline Godwin found out form this survivor what it’s like living with the pain.
Jacqueline Godwin Reporting,
On the day that Belizeans went to the polls to vote, twenty one year old shooting victim Christina Zetina underwent surgery that would change her life forever. And though she had hoped that doctors at the KHMH would save her leg, turns out that they had to amputate it:
Christina Zetina, Amputee
“The foot was really bad, the poison was going up and we had to seek a procedure of amputation. That was the only alternative.”
Christina says the doctors only had a twenty four hour window of opportunity to do the operation or she would have died. She is back home with her mother and is being cared for by her family. It was a senseless shooting committed by Ladyville resident Lenny Bennett who is believed to have opened fire on Christina because she simply did not want to have a relationship with him. Today, the family is convinced that it was an act of wild jealousy and that others are involved.
Christina Zetina,
“I never did nobody anything to hurt them or wish bad like this and they did me this and I still don’t wish bad on them. Every day I pray for them, I pray hard for them because I am sorry for them because I know they will punish down the line. I don’t know how his mom feels because she
is a woman and I am a woman. My mom right there feels a lot too. You know everyday my mom looks at me and my mom cries, she can’t take it. She can’t stand to see my like this. My brother barely wants to come to look for me because he can’t stand to see me like this.”
Linda Sabala, Mother of Christina Zetina
“It was senseless, it was crazy. I don’t know what caused it but it happened. They didn’t have a relationship. They were friends, they were friends but that’s all I know about – nothing else.”
As Christina struggles to try to understand why anyone would want to deliberately hurt her she says it is difficult now having to rely on others to do even simple chores.
Christina Zetina,
“I done lose my leg, right and before I knew I would lose it. I can’t do the things I used to do. I try to be happy around everybody but at night when everyone is a sleep, it is then the feeling takes over and it is hard.”
Linda Sabala,
“It is very hard as the mother but I try to be strong. She needs me right now. I cannot break down, I have to stand up for her.”
Christina says equally disturbing is that she believes if the police had responded to her calls for help she may not have been shot and others who are involved would be behind bars.
Christina Zetina,
“The person who planned this, actually told us that they did it, in their own form of words.”
Jacqueline Godwin,
And all this information you all took to
Ladyville Police?
Christina Zetina,
“Yes, all this information and all the threats I used to get.”
Christina Zetina is just one of five women who have been shot in just four weeks. Both Michelle Cattouse and Deandra Zetina were killed on February ninth. On February fifteenth sisters Lavern Garnett and Quincella Murillo received bullet wounds and are recovering at home. Then earlier this month the family of twenty three year old Yezirah Carillo Blanco told 7NEWS that they strongly suspect foul play in their daughter’s death.
Christina Zetina,
“Hmm I just think it isn’t right. It isn’t right and it isn’t fair because I didn’t do anybody anything bad. I didn’t hurt no one and I don’t wish like this bad on nobody yet. I never had that evil in my heart, never.”
Icilda Humes, Acting Director - Women’s Department
“Something is wrong, something is wrong when in the first two months we’ve seen so many tragedies especially at the hands of gun violence. It is something that we need to start addressing at the community level.”
According to acting Director of the Women’s Department Icilda Humes, they are very concerned about the recent incidents of violence.
Icilda Humes,
“At the end of 2006 to the start of 2007, we saw the violent deaths of three women, if you can recall, and it seems that we have started 2008 not
such a level of violence with respect to the severity of the crimes but with violence nonetheless. Where are our mothers, our fathers? Where are our church leaders? Where are our role models? We have so many positive role models out there but we need them to come out, to come together and say we will not allow this to continue to happen. These are our children, these are our young people, who are dying senselessly at the hands of violence. We really really need to look at it as a community effort.”
Christina Zetina,
“I don’t want anyone out there to do him anything for him to go down fast. I want him to live, I want him to live long and I want him to punish for what he did because that I know will happen.”
Linda Sabala,
“I don’t know what other intentions he had but with what they did, we want justice. That is what we want. They will pay for what they did. It cannot happen like that. They don’t have a reason to do that, we don’t have nothing with nobody – we keep to ourselves at home.”
Christina Zetina,
“I come to a point now that I really fed up it now and I might have one foot but I am fed up of it and something I didn’t do when I had my two foot but now I think have the courage and I will hold my Bible and I will pray for them everyday and I know that will make I get what I want and I will get justice too. I will make sure I get justice.”
Christina Zetina says she will never give up hope of walking one day and hopefully it will be on her wedding day. And it may just happen because on valentine’s day she got engaged to her boyfriend Kareem Young.
Christina Zetina,
“Yes I was engaged. That brought me up a lot because in a time like this, it feels like you could expect the worse then and I am just glad everybody stuck by my side through the hard time because this is the hard time. And I get my support from my mom the most, my sister, everybody is there – my whole family.”
Today, the family continues to struggle to get the medical attention Christina will need to help her get well and walk again. Today they appealed for that public assistance.
Christina Zetina,
“Right now the therapy costs more than the leg so all of that we have to watch and that is what we aiming to get right. But I have to deal with the healing process first and make this leg heal good. Right now it is healing a lot good right and just today I went to take out the stitches so I have to really be careful now.”
Linda Sabala,
“I would like to ask everyone if they could help in anyway. We need some help more. She wants to walk but financially we don’t have it but we will do our best. We will go out there too and whatever we could do, we will do it.”
Christina and the family would like to thank everyone who came tot their assistance and continue to give support. For 7NEWS, Jacqueline Godwin.
If you would like to help Christina Zetina you can give her a call at 604 – 3169.
