Tonight, a family in mourning for the head of their home, shot and killed during curfew hours.
But was it another territorial spat between drug dealers in the West? Or just a random hit against a mechanic and family man.
Cherisse Halsall headed to San Ignacio this morning to look for answers in the murder of Joshua Villas and the brutal shooting of Anthony Tzul.
Shots rang out in the quiet neighborhood of Trenchtown, San Ignacio last night and when the gunfire ceased, 28-year-old Joshua Villas was dead and his neighbor 21-year-old Anthony Tzul lay gravely injured.
This morning Villa's Common-law wife told us how shockingly and suddenly violence was visited on her home.
Cindy Canche, Common-Law-Wife of the Deceased
"Like 9:15 so I heard somebody came and said bwoy J J and he didn't answer but when they knocked on the door one time he got up from the bed and I asked him where are you going you know hear they said it's already past curfew hours and he didn't answer so he just continued walking out of the room. And he came and I heard when he opened the latch on the door and when I heard all I heard him say was: "Whe gone on bwoy?" and then I heard the gunshots, I heard like four you know one behind the other and that's when I came out of the room and I was running out and when I was running out I heard more gunshots and I thought they were shooting more towards the house.So, I just reversed back and I gone down on the ground and my kids they called out to me mom and I told them just hide under the bed and it happened so fast and when I heard that the gunshots were over I got up and I peeped and when I peeped the door was slightly opened and I just saw a shadow past and I couldn't recognize nobody or nothing all I did was jump over my husband's body and I pulled the door and I locked it because I was scared that they'd come back."
And that's how Cindy Canche found herself locked inside her home ducking for cover between her front door and the body of the man she loved, powerless to protect their children.
Cindy Canche, Common-Law-Wife of the Deceased
"When I turned to look at him I saw that he wasn't breathing anymore so all I could see was the blood coming out of his head and then I heard my dogs barking, they went behind the people into the bush and when I heard that the dogs were barking far I opened up the door and I hollered for the gyal and I told her Lex call the police, I told her like that and she was screaming she told me I can't they've shot Tony too."
"And she started to scream for help and help and I saw a neighbor come out and I shouted please call the police so I locked my door again and I grabbed my phone and I dialed 911 and I told them they just killed my husband and they asked me where so I gave them the direction and everything and that's when the police came."
They were still on the ground this morning investigating and combing for bullet casings. And while they've yet to arrive at any conclusions, theories are starting to take shape.
ACP Joseph Myvette
"What police know is that two hispanic males wearing masks and peak caps entered the location and then shouted for Mr. Villas and on their way out they entered the home of MR. Tzul where they fired several shots injuring him, he is in a stable condition at the western regional hospital. At this time we are following several leads in relation to this investigation."
Cherisse Halsall:
"Sir what's the information as far as drug turf wars that have occured in the Cayo district, we've observed many of them before, is this an assassination in just another one?"
ACP Joseph Myvette
"We will have to see where the investigation goes however also during the police's investigation of the scene a black plastic bag was found clutched in the deceased's hand that had some loose cannabis and he, yes, he is known to the police as several searches have been done on his home. I believe sometime around March or April of this year he was charged for drug possession by the police."
Cherisse Halsall:
"Is the neighbor known to the police?"
ACP Joseph Myvette
"At this point in time, no."
But Villa's partner doesn't believe his killing to be related to the drug trade and says that the attack upon her family came as a complete shock.
Cherisse Halsall:
"Last year around this time there were some targeted killings mainly in Santa Elena in which families were targeted, those were people fighting over drug turf, is this anything similar?"
Cindy Canche, Common-Law-Wife of the Deceased
"I don't think so."
Cherisse Halsall
"So this was a complete shock last night, there was no threat?"
Cindy Canche
"There was no threat, nothing, we never had a threat. We never, you know, nobody came here to threaten nothing."
Her main concern now is for her children. She told us that this is the second death that her eldest child has witnessed firsthand and that last night by the time she got to comfort the youngest he was crouched at the foot of the bed with his hands clasped in prayer.
Cindy Canche, Common-Law-Wife of the Deceased
"Well they were in shock, they were in shock because you know for a kid to see a body laying there bleeding and thing, it's a shock for them it's very hard."
"They couldn't even sleep the whole night, and they're still awake. They can't sleep, they say it's terrifying for them. He says that when he closes his eyes he sees the image."
The first death witnessed by the Villa's eldest child was that of his grandmother who four years ago was killed by a swarm of bees while picking him up from school.
Cayo Police have some leads that they are following up in this murder and attempted murder.
