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16 year old Howard Ramirez left his home yesterday in the Mosquitoville area of San Ignacio without telling his mother where he was going. It wasn't until the evening that she learned he had been shot dead.
The teenager had allegedly broken into a warehouse and was shot by the property owner after he allegedly tried to attack him. It's started a social media debate on who was in the wrong - the teenager living in poor conditions or the man who was trying to protect himself.
For the boy's mother, she believes that his life should have been spared. Courtney Menzies has this story.
17 year old Howard Ramirez was killed yesterday morning in San Ignacio, but his death has left a lot of questions as to where the guilt should be placed.
His shooter, 44 year old Juan Gonzalez, told police that he was at his store-room about two blocks away from his house and noticed a young man coming out of a damaged window. He asked him what he was doing on his property, and that's when the man allegedly picked up a piece of wood and tried to attack Gonzalez. Gonzalez then took out his licensed 9 millimeter pistol and fired one shot towards the man, who then ran into the bushes.
Gonzalez called the cops but by then it was too late, and the man - later identified as only a teenager - had already passed away. Gonzalez was taken into custody while the police investigate.
But Ramirez's mother believes he should stay here. She says that Gonzalez should not have shot to kill. She asked to appear off camera:
Voice of: Elizabeth Ramirez, Mother of Deceased
"When my son came out, he didn't tell me he was going or he's coming back, he just told my bigger son he's going to work so he said, ma, my brother said he's going to work. My little boy is a nice guy but I don't know why people so bad mind to hurt my son. The problem, they didn't have any reason to shoot my son in his face, at least on his foot or on his hand, not to kill my son because that really hurt, as a mother, it really hurts. I don't really agree with that and I really asked that guy that is in jail, don't let them take him out, let him suffer like how I'm suffering, let him suffer worse and police have to have my back because I didn't know anything. Police didn't come to my son to tell me my son is dead. Until the evening, maybe after 4, they came and told me oh your son is already in Belmopan. I didn't see my son's body, I don't know if he was bruised up, or what happened to my son. They just told me they shot him three times and just gave me shock for me to, I can't anymore, I just bawled. I have a young baby, I have to take care of my kids."
And Ramirez added that her kids had been threatened before.
Voice of: Elizabeth Ramirez, Mother of Deceased
"We used to stay by Boiton area, we used to take care of a house for some person. And I don't know if they grudge or something, those people, and they didn't like how we were living, happy with my kids. My kids don't mess around any anybody, we used to be a happy family, but those people, every time they get drunk, have party, they throw words at us and one day they told my son if they can't catch the big one, they will kill the little one. One of my family they will kill. So that is the same way they were waiting for him to do something to kill my next little boy."
And she says she'll never forget how funny and loving her son was.
Voice of: Elizabeth Ramirez, Mother of Deceased
"Young boy, funny, he gave jokes, he loved his sisters."
"He loved his little baby brother, he used to get him every morning from the bed and play with him. I remember when my son was small, he resembled my baby, and now we have to give him my son's name, Huard. Huard Ramirez, that's my son here, but I will never forget my son. He always will be here with my God, everything that he did to my son he will pay for, he have kids, and I leave it in my God's hands and everything will go in my God's hands for him to pay for everything he did to me."
"I just don't really like that what happened to my son, it hurt me I can't sleep, I can't sleep. I just ask those people to prayer for me to forget but I will can't forget my son, that is my love, my little boy, 9 months I back him, for someone else to kill my son. It's rough."
Gonzalez was taken into police custody.
His Glock-17 9mm pistol with 16 rounds of hollow point ammunition has also been taken as evidence. No expended shells were found on the scene.
