On Monday we told you about the fatal explosion of a bomb in the Orange Walk village of San Jose Palmar. It was an MK1, Aircraft Bomb, left behind in the New River area by foreign military many years ago.
It ended up in the possession of former PUP Area Rep Dave Burgos. He told us he had those lying around for years - and thought they were inert, or decommissioned.
And, on Saturday his employee, 25 year old Jose Valencia was welding hooks on them so that they could be mounted as ornaments when the bomb exploded, causing a massive blast that killed the young father of one.
As his employer Burgos was very familiar with Valencia - and his 3 year old daughter, who he called "Valencita". He says the young man had just started welding - and he told him to take a break and go collect his pay as the work day was winding down. But, then the blast happened, killing Valencia instantly and raining down glass on Burgos's wife, Flavia. Burgos recounted told us he had just walked off seconds before the explosion:
Dave Burgos, Owned Business/Residence Where Bomb Exploded
"Start to well, and I was there with him. And I tell Jose left that thing there and let's go to the office. That was it. I have never been around what is a blast, an explosion, nothing like that."
"I've never been around that. So I don't even realize what it is. Only started to shout, you know, Jose, Jose, and by this time, you know, Flavia also is coming out from the house, because all the glass, got shattered, you know."
"She's in full of glass, and Flavia got cut up, and Flavia had to walk on glass. So at that time, Dave came around and we tried for Jose. That tragedy will mark my life forever. That's all I can say."
Jules Vasquez
"Why do people have these? Why did you have them amd what was Mr. Valencia doing at the time?"
Dave Burgos
"Jules, I was owed some money. And they brought me two. I told them I want my money. I don't want this. And they were left there at my place for many, many years."
"And the words at the time, these things, they can't do no harm. They're deactivated. A lot of people have them. And then they brought another one, the third."
Jules Vasquez
"All in settlement of a debt."
Dave Burgos
"All in settlement of a debt. And that's what was brought to me. That last one, the one that exploded, I mean, that was there for years there. I didn't need to touch it. I left it there. There was this thing that...Jose wanted to help too and that I'll take that to my grave."
"I shouldn't have allow him to do that."
Jules Vasquez
"But you were putting them up as ornaments."
Dave Burgos
"Yes, because everybody have this for artifacts you know, that's the reason that they have them. Not knowing what it is I mean in its true sense. You could see it what it is, but I mean it's been there for many years you think it's harmless, you don't know."
Jules Vasquez
"A young man is dead, he has a daughter. Who do you feel should be held liable for this?"
Dave Burgos
"Jules, I know he work for me, right and Jose was, the friendship we had he wanted to help and we have that there. If that wasn't there then Jose would not be where he is today."
"The British were the ones who left this all over the place and people don't know and these are all over the place. Homes, we're talking about these things are in homes, many, many, many, many people have them, right."
"And if there was an awareness from then, this wouldn't have happened. I am really broken. I'm broken to my core, straight to my core. I don't know, I don't know if, honestly, I want to continue in business and I'm ashamed, I'm ashamed of it."
"I'm ashamed, I really am, I'm ashamed of it. And all I will do, is, well, we are praying right now for the soul of, the eternal rest of the soul of Jose Valencia. Jose, I've asked him to forgive me too."
"That his family forgive us, forgive me. And the community to forgive me. There's no, there's nothing I can say that can repair anything, there's nothing. But, given the opportunity, we'll do right, especially with Valencita."
"I am sorry, I have asked the mother. I went to, Flavia and I, we went to visit the mother and the family was there with her, but we mainly engaged with the mother and give her our condolences and to forgive us, to find it and her to forgive us."
"But as Flavia rightly said, you know, and the mother told me too, mothers and fathers are different. So coming out from me, she's deeply hurt. There's nothing I can say, nothing I can do right now. But yes, we will work for Valencita, have something for her, you know, for her future."
Jose Valencia had sole custody of his daughter.
