Tonight, we begin with a report of patricide from the south - a son, reportedly fed up with his father's constant abuse, was forced to take decisive and deadly action.
The son along with four of his siblings and his mother had moved from Georgetown to San Roman some months ago to escape from their violent father.
But last night, 52-year-old Amaya Salvador Rivas showed up at their new home uninvited at 9:00, and by 6 this morning, he had been fatally chopped by his eldest son.
But that son was only trying to save his mother and his younger brother from his father's merciless attacks. Courtney Menzies traveled south today to get the story and has this report.
A father of 6 is dead tonight, chopped to death by his eldest son in San Roman Village. But according to reports, the suspect was only trying to defend his little brother.
Augustine Choc, Chairman, San Roman
"According to what the boy told me, he came to grab [my brother] in the hammock so and my father start to argue with [my brother], so after that they start to fight and they get a machete and after that they came outside and he kill his father."
Courtney Menzies:
"So it was the two brothers, the father was harassing one and then the other one came to his protection"
Augustine Choc, Chairman, San Roman
"Yes. The oldest brother started to help his next brother so after that, maybe his father got a machete that's why they start to fight."
The victim, 52-year-old Amaya Salvador Rivas, had been sleeping in the adjoining kitchen area when, around 4am, he forced his way into where his common-law wife, 46-year-old Santa Ical and her five children were sleeping.
According to one of the children, Rivas allegedly beat Ical before turning on his 18-year-old son who was sleeping in a hammock. He reportedly began choking his son, arguing about a cellphone. That's when the suspect - who is 23 years old - chased his father into the yard and allegedly chopped him several times.
Augustine Choc, Chairman, San Roman
"I get a report with one of the boys, I don't know his name, but he tell me, "I kill my dad," like a quarter to six. I asked him if it's true, yes, well okay I will go check, that's what I told the boy. So after that I came and check the body and it's true so that's why I call police like 6:15 and the police they came to check the body. I asked the lady what happened and she told me everyday it's a problem with her common-law so what I tell her, you should have done a report to me then I would call police. Then after this accident that happened, they should already know what happened."
And once Choc got to the scene, Ical explained to him that she'd been in an abusive relationship with Rivas for years - which might have pushed her oldest child to his breaking point.
Augustine Choc, Chairman, San Roman
"So he told me, I'm not afraid, I kill my own father because I'm tired of his problems. That's what he told me. And then the police came."
But Ical tried to avoid this violent end by separating from Rivas. She had moved to San Roman less than a year ago to get away from him - but that didn't stop him from finding them again.
Augustine Choc, Chairman, San Roman
"The lady tell me that long time this problem start, it's not only today, it's every day because what the lady tell me, he put a knife right here by my side, the lady tell me, so I tell her you should have report to me and I would call police for you."
"She told me they used to live at Georgetown Junction so with that problem, that's why they came to San Roman."
Courtney Menzies:
"So she came here and he followed her?"
Augustine Choc, Chairman, San Roman
"Yes."
Ical and her two eldest sons - the suspect as well as the 18-year-old - were taken to the Mango Creek Police Station this morning as police began what they are calling a Death investigation.
The chairman, Choc, is asking for at least a police patrol in the village, since they do not have a police station and the one in Mango Creek is about 16 miles away. The village has 1,500 residents.
