And while the arrest is straightforward enough and comes just days after the body was found - the San Pedro community is irate - both at the murder, and at what they feel is police special treatment for this accused man.
Last night, a Facebook furor erupted on the island when residents claimed that police had allowed murder suspect David Gonzalez to go home, shower, and even pack a night bag for his trip to Hattieville.
Today, the Commissioner said the community had it all wrong:
Chester Williams - Commissioner of Police
"I saw where the public got a bit outrageous last night when there was some picture circulating with the accused husband on a golf cart going home and I myself when I saw it initially, I was upset because with the way this entire ordeal went down and the fact that the husband seems to have no remorse and is noncooperative with the investigation, he should not be afforded any kind of privilege and so I quickly got in the phone and I spoke to Mr. Noble and inquired from him why was it that the individual was seen on a golf cart and he had said to me that they took him home because there is surveillance camera at the house but when the police went to retrieve the video footage, there was no DVR. So, the officers took him back to his home last night to search because we have received information that indeed, it had been hidden somewhere in the yard or some nearby yard. So, he was taken there for the purpose of conducting that search. So if that is the case, I have to accept Mr. Noble word for it, I don't think he needs to lie to me about that, then I have no issue with it because we need to find the DVR and I want to appeal to the public in San Pedro, if any knows the whereabouts of this DVR or where the husband may have hidden or thrown the DVR, please let us know because we believe it has footage that significantly help out investigation."
Reporter
"Wasn't it a matter of him getting any special treatment because of his social status out there?"
Chester Williams
"From what I gathered from Mr. Noble, no."
This evening, the PUP's United Women's Group released a statement calling for justice on behalf of Marisela Gonzalez.
Their press release says, quote, "The United Women's Group (UWG) strongly condemns this act of violence which has led to the loss of another special woman, allegedly at the hands of her spouse…we expect that her killer will be charged and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law" End quote.
They are joined by the Human Rights Commission of Belize who is also calling for justice on behalf of Marisela.
Their statement also adds, quote, " The Commission… urges the Government to enhance its efforts to combat domestic violence by providing the necessary support to frontline responders to properly implement the Domestic Violence Act, and related national policies; and supporting the proposal of the Police Department to change the location and setting of the Domestic Violence Unit. " End quote.
They are also hoping that the government amends to Domestic Violence Act to provide for emergency orders to enable persons to obtain protection on an urgent basis, through telephone or other electronic means.
Finally, they want to remove the part of the Domestic Violence Act which says, "the need to preserve and protect the institution of marriage, and to give protection and assistance to the family as a natural and fundamental unit of society".
