The Bella Vista community is mourning their beloved "tamales man" after 40 year old Hernando Pop was found dead on Wednesday afternoon. At first, his death was reported as murder and there were allegations that he had been fatally stabbed. However, the family isn't sure that it was foul play.
Courtney Menzies went down south to speak with them today. Here is that story.
40 year old Hernando Pop left his Bella Vista home at 4 on Tuesday morning to go sell tamales as usual. He should have returned home in the afternoon, but around 9 that night, his wife got a disturbing phone call.
Marvelly Pop, Sister of Deceased
"My sister in law received phone received a phone call asking if her husband was at home so she replied back saying he wasn't at home so the guy that called her told her that they found his cycle, the waist bag, the cooler, everything was there but he wasn't there. So my sister said that she was waiting on him to get home but he wasn't getting home so in the morning she said my brother didn't get home as yet so she went to the station to make a report, a missing report. And then from there on, police started to search and right there everything started."
The police report was made at 7:30 on Wednesday morning, and by 2 his body was found.
Marvelly Pop, Sister of Deceased
"As far as I know, they found him in the drain, somewhere around - I'm not quite sure as well because I wasn't here when they found the body. I left from Punta Gorda and I came here when I got the call that they found my brother but he was already gone."
Courtney Menzies:
"Was he far away from where they found the motorcycle?"
Marvelly Pop, Sister of Deceased
"Yes, he was a distance away from the motorcycle."
Courtney Menzies:
"And that's not part of his usual route?"
Marvelly Pop, Sister of Deceased
"No."
"There was no injuries, only a little bruise here and a scar on the face."
And the absence of serious injury is the main reason the family isn't sure if they should suspect foul play. The family explained that it was raining hard that night, and Pop was found in a deep drain:
On top of that, his sister said he was beloved in the village.
Marvelly Pop, Sister of Deceased
"My brother was a kind guy, a loving person as far as I can tell. And as far as I know, I am the last child, and my brother was one of the kindest souls that I could describe. Whenever I wasn't feeling quite well or whatever is it, I would make a phone call and tell him, hey, I usually call him Nan so I would tell him, hey Nan, I'm not feeling good and lately I started school and I told him I am starting back school and he said, that's good, I'm proud of you I just hope nothing comes along the way, I wish you all the best. My brother was one of the kindest souls and many people, friends, family are coming over from yesterday morning saying it's unbelievable because he left home and didn't return. My brother was a good guy."
"We have no idea who or what happened."
"as far as we can tell, the family is grieving. Unbelievable that out of nowhere, my brother is gone, we didn't expect it."
Pop leaves behind two sons.
Police have classified it as a death investigation.
