Tonight an 18 year old has been charged for the murder of an 36 year old co worker on San Pedro.
Police say that Julio Rafael Paiz killed 36 year old Hilberto Sajid Caliz on Saturday evening in the San Pedrito area of the town. That's where many of the workers live - and both men had been employed at a resort. But a dispute - supposedly - over a bicycle led to murder on Saturday. Cherisse Halsall went to the island this morning:
This improvised altar has been placed here to honor the life of Hilberto Caliz. Hilberto was a son, brother, and common-law-husband who, on Saturday, was cruelly and shockingly gunned down and killed.
His Common -Law-Wife Emma Diaz watched the whole thing unfold. Still, afraid for her life she declined to appear on camera but she shared her recollection of the harrowing moments that lead to Hilberto's death.
Voice of Emma Diaz, Common-Law-Wife
"I was washing outside right here when I heard that sound and I thought that it was pop shots you know because Christmas is just around the corner and then when I saw the neighbor running into his yard, and then I peeped, I saw somebody else running into the yard too and when I saw my bwoy running and I saw the person that killed him running and shooting him. And he fell right there and the boy still came and continued shooting him."
And that's the story that Hilberto's family has received. This morning his brother's were both angry and devastated.
Eddie Caliz, Brother of the Deceased
"The guy came out of a fence, started shooting at him, my brother fell. He tried to run but he was caught. When he was on the ground they say the guy just came and shot him for the last time and that's where he was."
Aidian Caliz, Brother of the deceased
"He's very strong, I know he fought for his life, I know he ran for his life."
But what was behind the rancor? reliable reports to 7 news are that
Reports say it all started over Emma Diaz's bike. They claim It had been stolen by one of the couple's co-workers, and Hilberto had confronted him about it, demanding its return. The man refused and instead allegedly threatened both their lives. They never reported the incident.
But the trouble came when the police, somehow, got involved and returned the bike.
Voice of Emma Diaz, Common-Law-Wife
"And then I came that day, we came that day because he got the bike because they gave the bike to him, we didn't know that that guy had it and then when we came in here I told him thank god we found the bike, he told me yes babe, I told him but the boy threatened me. He told me leave him, he won't do anything, he's just a young guy, he can't do nothing but I wouldn't know that he would kill my bwoy."
Hilberto's family says that the alleged killer was someone Hilberto called a friend. They claim that Hilberto, a carpenter, taught him everything he knows.
Eddie Caliz, Brother of the Deceased
"We can't take justice in our own hands so we just have to be patient and wait to have the law do its job and hopefully we get justice for my brother because it didn't take long before they caught him right, so I just hope he pays for what he did to us, mein cause my brother was actually teaching him a trade, for him to do that to my brother."
He did it to their brother and to their entire family but especially to Hilberto's mother.
Aidian Caliz, Brother of the deceased
"We have no words to try to calm her down because she is very broken right now, and worse that she hasn't seen any of us yet, that's the craziest part because when she sees us she's going to break apart because all of us are broken even my dad he can barely sleep."
Aidian Caliz, Brother of the deceased
"Now I'm the oldest one that follows him and I'll try to do my best to do what I can do for my brothers and I'll always be there for them and I just want to make my brother know that I will never forget him. I will always have him in my heart, Love you Hil."
