And while weekend slayings in the city are far too common, nothing could have prepared Xaibe villagers for the murder of a 30 year old villager.
Around 1:45 on Friday morning, Mauricio Cawich Jr's body was found lying face up on the side of the village's main road - with cut wounds to the left side of his head and a bruise to the left elbow.
According to police around 11:30 on Thursday night Cawich went home under the influence of alcohol and shortly after he left to go buy food. About 1:20 that morning a neighbor heard dogs barking and he found Cawich lying on the main street in the village with his head in a pool of blood. Cawich was pronounced dead on arrival at the Corozal hospital. Today 7news caught up with his wife at the morgue. She told us she strongly believes her husband was murdered since he was involved in a fight with someone that same day.
Anna Novelo, Wife
"I think that they kill him because the way we find his body. His blood was on the roadside and when night came his body was on the grass and when I found him he was covered in blood. They say that they saw a police officer with him and he was on his knees at the location. Why didn't they take him to the hospital? They say that they call for an ambulance but the ambulance never reaches."
"I think they beat him with a heavy stick because he had two injuries in his head and blood was n his hair. I think this is not a casual accident. I think that they kill him."
Monica Bodden
"When he came home was he intoxicated?"
Anna Novelo, Wife
"Like how?"
Monica Bodden
"The first time he came home. Remember he came home and said that he was going back out right. Was he drunk?"
Anna Novelo, Wife
"He was drunk but not very drunk. They came behind him and kill him."
Monica Bodden
"You know him to have any enemies with anybody?"
Anna Novelo, Wife
"That day they told me that he had a problem with a man - that he got into a fight and the man got scar on his face but I don't know, I can't say that it's him or that it's not him because I don't know."
Monica Bodden
"You understand if police took the man in for questioning?"
Anna Novelo, Wife
"Yes, but he never took long there at the station because his mother came and brought barbeque for the police officer."
Mauricio Cawich was the father of 3 children and lived in Xaibe.
