Magana's Shop in the Fresh Pond area near Burrell Boom has been the community's store for the last 15 years. Out of a small window in their home, they carry the basic supplies that villagers need. But last night, they were targeted in a robbery turned murder- and the scale of cruelty dwarfs the size of the humble operation.
Two men - seemingly with knowledge of the store's layout - barged in and demanded money. But the cash wasn't enough - they also took the life of the family's eldest son.
Courtney Menzies visited them today and has this story.
33-year-old Cruz Magana was lying in this hammock last night when he realized his family's little shop was being robbed. His sister and mother were sitting on the verandah, as they usually do before closing up the shop.
They noticed two men coming towards them and assumed they wanted to buy something. Instead, the men pulled out a firearm, and chaos ensued.
Voice of: Sister-In-Law of Deceased
"The men they came from the front door, went in through the shop and basically just came up by the verandah, somewhat like they know the layout of the house and they just pointed the gun at my sister in law and mother in law and said give me the money so they said the money is in the shop, just take the money and go."
"My brother in law was hearing the commotion and he got up from the hammock and the men got jumpy and they said, a man is here! So they came into the house form the verandah door and they told him, give me the money. They already checked the shop and it just had small change. My mother in law already put up the money. And my mother in law said the money is in the room, just take the money and go."
"They literally went into the room, took the money, walk out and still shot him. Three to four times they shot him and that's because he was begging for his life. Like, just take the money and go. But they still shot him, took the money, and left. Because they took a phone and a laptop and they went out back, they wanted to shoot my sister-in-law too, I think one of them had the gun in his hand but then she ran across to the neighbor and asked him for help."
"My boyfriend came out of the house because we live back there and he saw the men leaving and he grabbed a 2x4 and he was ready to knock them or something and he didn't get through, the man already left, they even pointed the gun at him cause they wanted to shoot him next but I don't know if they didn't have anymore bullets or something."
In the end, only Magana was shot, and he succumbed to those injuries.
Today, his mother's eyes were still swollen from the endless tears:
Voice of: Sister-In-Law of Deceased
"My mother in law is going through it because that's her first son and he's always the one who is here with her, always helping her how he can. that's her baby, she really… I don't know what to say."
"Cruz was a really happy person, if you ever know Cruz you know he's always hailing people, like, that's my G, he always hail everybody, make sure everybody straight. Once you're his friend, you don't have to worry about anything. And he was a really good person and really humble and he worked really hard to have his business that he was building up. I remember he got tired of call center and one night he said, I'll build a business and you'll watch me get big and I will take care of all of my family."
But he passed before that could happen, and his family believes at least one of the men knew them - and their home - well.
Voice of: Sister-In-Law of Deceased
"We were talking last night because it's just suspicious that you know exactly how to move in the house and the one with mask, I feel like he put on the mask because he would be recognize because right here, everybody knows everybody and the second one doesn't look like he's from here."
Police are still looking for the two suspects who chose to target this little village store, hardly more than a window on this humble bungalow.
The robbers stole approximately $2,300, a laptop, a cell phone, and a bracelet.
