Mahogany Heights it’s a quiet village community between Belize and Belmopan but recently residents have been complaining about a group of lawless young men who are being harboured in the community. Complaining because law abiding residents say those same young men are now terrorizing their community. And last night it went to another level when a well known villager was killed in a ruthless knife attack. 7NEWS found out how this man who had been on his way home was hunted down on the roadside.
Jules Vasquez Reporting,
Last night at 9:45 32 year old Orlando Montero known as Vega got off the last bus to Mahogany Heights – here at the village bus stop at mile 33 on the
Western Highway. He’d had an argument on the bus with some young men from Mahogany Heights and they chased him to this spot about 300 feet away – just off the highway.
That’s where they butchered him to death, stabbing him many times and leaving him to die. There were witnesses to the argument in the bus and the chase on the roadside. Police responded to their calls within minutes, but they couldn’t find anything last night. Another search along the road was launched this morning and that’s when they found the body.
His friend who asked to appear off camera was the one who made the discovery. He said he spotted Montero’s Jeans from the roadside.
Friend,
“When I see di jeans I holler for my friend and when the police come we jump the drain and gaan and we si the body. Like I always say, he dah my personal friend, we drink together, he was a nice guy, he noh trouble nobody.”
He was found about 30 feet from the shoulder of the highway in some bushes and across a gully on the roadside. He had presumably scrambled across that trying to get away from his killers. Today his wife visited the grim scene on the roadside where she was comforted by fellow residents of Mahogany Heights who knew the couple well and are angered at what they call increasing lawlessness in their community.
Friend,
“I noh know whe fi say, I noh whe kinda conflict deh mi have. The guys whe do it, I noh really know but I just hope justice come.”
Jules Vasquez,
Now I know the young men who they said did it, dah so young men who’ve been causing trouble in this area.
Friend,
“Exactly that is true. I think, to my opinion he shouldn’t be out yah right now because one ah di young man have a case pending. He shoulda mi deh tha Hattieville. According to the way I see it, he just deh out yah and we noh have no law dah Belize.”
Montero was a logger and a former BDF soldier.
So far no one has been detained but police do have suspects that they are looking for.
