Over the Easter weekend, Placencia village witnessed a shocking flash of violence. It happened in the heart of the village, when Christon Rocha stabbed his former partner, bartender Vanessa Reyes in the head.
That moment, caught on camera by a hotel manager went viral this weekend, igniting fierce debates about domestic violence and the cycles of abuse both physical and otherwise that hundreds if not thousands of Belizean women have experienced in their own fractured relationships.
But at the centre of this incident is a hardworking, loving woman called Vanessa. Tonight, she fears for her life, but she's fighting to get it back - and doing so publicly by sending out a plea for the arrest of her deranged and very dangerous former partner - who is on the run. Tonight Cherisse Halsall brings you her story from Placencia.
This is Vanessa Reyes
She's a mother.
An expert bartender and server. And the kind of person that exudes both joy and light from within.
And yet that light that Vanessa is known for was nearly snuffed out when her ex-partner Christon Rocha attempted to murder her.
And over the weekend that shocking video, seen by thousands of Belizeans, brought to the forefront shocking violence that was for once perpetrated out of the shadows.
And in the aftermath of that Attack Vanessa, fearing for her life, has been put in a safe house. She's separated from her children and fighting for some semblance of her life.
But this morning in an effort to publicize her struggle she sat down exclusively with channel 7 to tell her harrowing story.
Vanessa Harriet Reyes, Victim of Domestic violence
"I was embarrassed out there but it showed me that he doesn't care if he could do that in front of so many people he has no remorse and you know at this point I feel that he doesn't even love the kids because if he had loved the kids like he always said he would never take away the only thing that the kids love."
Cherisse Halsall:
"When you're sitting on the ground after the attack and people are coming to your aid trying to protect you, what's going through your mind?"
Vanessa Harriet Reyes, Victim of Domestic violence
"Me on the ground, there was like stars in front of me, I was getting dizzy and I think I was passing out or passed out. I can't remember much and I just sat down, because I felt like I was going to fall, so I sat down and I felt like I was just going from myself."
"The voice message is scary because when he's like that he's very evil, the looks he gives you sometimes he could do you anything. I think he has an anger, so when he snaps, he could kill in that moment."
Cherisse Halsall:
"And at the time when you were receiving these death threats, did you take them seriously?"
Vanessa Harriet Reyes, Victim of Domestic violence
"Sometimes I just ignore it, because I said maybe he is just mad, he's just maybe high or something is wrong with him, so I just like try to hide a lot of messages that he sent me."
Sadly, there was no hiding Rocha's violent tendencies. For Vanessa it's been one violent incident after another and in between it's been the psychological abuse that has emotionally crippled both her and the former couple's children.
Vanessa Harriet Reyes, Victim of Domestic violence
"I got to live for the kids, I got to be here for them, you know."
Cherisse Halsall:
"And psychologically how did that affect the children?"
Vanessa Harriet Reyes, Victim of Domestic violence
"My kids were traumatized for a long time. They would hide. They would lock the doors; they would even sometimes be hiding under the bed."
Cherisse Halsall:
"And so you left?"
Vanessa Harriet Reyes, Victim of Domestic violence
"I left, and I went to the police, made a report, asked for a restraining order, everything that I could against him, but I didn't speak much of it because I was still embarrassed. At one point I was depressed. I wanted to take my life out."
But instead Vanessa found strength in a friend who was also a victim of domestic abuse Tracy Thompson. Vanessa may be living through hell on earth but her friend Tracy is no longer around to tell her tale.
Vanessa Harriet Reyes, Victim of Domestic violence
"When I heard she died, I panicked, I said this could be me and I said why am I still here. I said maybe I need to speak up. She gave me the courage, because I looked at her and I always use to tell her, we're going to make it through, we just got to walk away and be strong, but with her death, I still cannot put it to terms what happened to her, my condolences goes out to her family, but her death made me strong. Tracy didnt deserve this at all."
Cherisse Halsall:
"Were you aware of when she made the decision to flee for her safety."
Vanessa Harriet Reyes, Victim of Domestic violence
"Yeah, she spoke to me and I hugged her and I said good luck, we'll keep in contact and she went through a lot here, but we used to be quiet about certain things because when you go to the police you don't know who to trust."
Today as Vanessa undergoes her physical recovery all she can do is constantly look over her shoulder for the next attack, the next strike.
Vanessa Harriet Reyes, Victim of Domestic violence
"I have headaches, my jawbone hurts if I eat, because of the knife. I have a lot of pain, but I am this person who tries to hide my pain, but just being me and happy and smile. Thats how I hide my pain."
"Being in the safe house, it's crazy, it's like you're in the safe house and when you look around all day, nothing to do. I mean, missing who I used to be. Missing my kids dearly it's not a, It's a crazy feeling because I look around now and I say sometimes maybe he walks up to where I am you know and it's kind of crazy to be in a safe house knowing that I had a life out here and I want to be back to normal with my life."
And Vanessa had her own message for her abuser and those who may be harboring him.
Vanessa Harriet Reyes, Victim of Domestic violence
"Christon Rocha you promised you would kill me right but I will live for our kids, Natalia, Roman, and Christon Jr. please I am asking if there is anyone out there who is helping him, because I know he doesn't have access to nothing to move around, please turn him in, so that I can get back my life to normal. All I want is to have a piece of mind for the sake of our kids. I'm begging anybody out there, if you have a heart just think of us, please turn him in, thanks."
After viewing the viral video of Reyes's attack, COMPOL Chester said quote: "It's just sad to see the way some men treat women, it cannot be you say you love a woman and treat her in that way."
Williams has given instructions for Rocha to be prosecuted to the full extent of the law, even in the unlikely event that Reyes should drop the charges.
