The murder of a beloved fisherman, boat captain, electrician, son, and brother has shocked the Yarborough community. Mark Francisco fished in his free time but as he got ready to ship out on Sunday, he was shot dead. But his family knows he wasn't the target - just an innocent bystander who caught a bullet meant for somebody else. Courtney Menzies spoke to them today and has this story.
It was a warm Sunday morning when 51-year-old Mark Francisco was getting ready to head out to sea from the Yabra area. But he never made it since a gunman took his life. Francisco was innocently killed while the shooter was after another man.
And the Yarborough neighborhood where he spent his life is still reeling in shock. His brother said that when he got the news, he was left in disbelief. He added that Francisco actively stayed away from the troublemakers in the area and instead focused on his career and his hobbies.
Voice of: James Francisco, Brother of Deceased
"It was something that I couldn't believe then, something that I still can't believe now because what I do know is that he is loved by his family, the community, the neighborhood and he literally doesn't have an issue with anyone. After I learned of what happened and probably the speculation as to how it happened, I started believing that it was some sort of a case of mistaken identity."
"Fishing has always been one of his hobbies. Prior to fishing, he had worked at Benny's for well over two decades. He took up early retirement and he set up his business as an electrician and on the weekend since fishing is his hobby, as long as the weather is fine, he is always out there with his friends on the waters. And these friends that he hung out with are people in between the ages of 45 or 60 and over, no younger than that. So we hang out but we don't hang out with the young guys, we would tell them to find their crowd. So for this sort of thing to happen, it's ridiculous because we don't encourage or condone violence either, we would actually try to talk our youths out of it."
And Francisco believes his brother's death could have been prevented had the nearby police booth not been abandoned.
Voice of: James Francisco, Brother of Deceased
"I believe in the last three years he's the fourth person to die in that specific area. Even more, when I look at the fact that there's a police booth in what used to be the old Yarborough cemetery, that has been renovated for some time now and there was no police, there hasn't been police manning that booth for over a year, two years, or probably more. I think if there were some sort of police presence, maybe it wouldn't have stopped this from happening, but I think 80%, it could have hindered this from happening, including the other murders that happened in the past in that area."
"The booth is actually not so far from the community policing unit that's across the other side of the bridge. If you look at the dynamics of it too, on Fairweather Street at the foot of another bridge, there's also a tent that is actually used by the police. Now if we look at that triangle, I believe if the police could actually have officers manning those booths who would actually go on foot patrols from location to location, it would create a hinderance from any crime happening."
He added that it wasn't until after the crime was committed patrols were increased:
Voice of: James Francisco, Brother of Deceased
"When my brother passed and I got into Belize City, I saw the police vehicles pass at least two or three times. Now in the evening long after this happened, the police vehicles passed my family home at least 12 times. Why all the patrols after the incident happens?"
"But they also need more support from the state in order to do their jobs. My brother's death is something I cannot just accept like that, the state has to accept some responsibility."
And while he hopes for justice and a change in the community, he says his brother's kindness will always be remembered.
Voice of: James Francisco, Brother of Deceased
"My brother will always be remember by me and many for being very outgoing, very jovial, he's a person that helps people, he gets along with just about anyone, if he's actually over on the canal side not too far from where he was killed, he has extra fish each time he comes in, after he's sold out, he gives those fish away. There are people who actually ask him for discounts, he gives them discounts, he helps everyone he can help when he can."
Francisco leaves behind one stepdaughter and several nieces and nephews.
