The family of Wilson Hernandez is angry and disappointed tonight, after charges against his alleged killer, Christy Guzman, were quietly dropped a few days ago. Guzman fatally shot Hernandez back in September during an altercation that he was having with his common law wife, Dalia Vellos. According to Hernandez's family, the prosecutors told them that they would aim for a murder charge, but later levied manslaughter by negligence. The family was also concerned when they did not object to bail. And now with the charges dropped, they're outraged and devastated. So what was the final piece of evidence that led the deputy DPP to make this decision? Courtney Menzies has this story.
21 year old Christy Guzman is a free woman after the charge of manslaughter by negligence that was levied against her back in October was dropped. Guzman was accused of pulling the trigger of the gun that killed Wilson Hernandez in Belmopan.
It was a night that began with an argument between Hernandez and his common law wife, Dalia Vellos, who is Guzman's aunt. The fight occurred on the street outside the couple's home and during the chaos, Vellos handed Guzman her licensed firearm, which is what Guzman eventually used.
Most of the incident was caught on surveillance camera but according to Deputy DPP Javier Chan, a vital piece of evidence was not captured - that Hernandez was allegedly choking Vellos, which prompted Guzman to shoot him. Chan explained that the bullet caught his arm and then went into his torso, hitting vital organs. But his office ultimately concluded that she did not intend to kill him and moreover, she was protecting her aunt.
But it's not an explanation that Hernandez's family buys.
Julissa Schubert, Sister of Deceased
Honestly, heartbroken, sad, the fact that he lost his life and that's the way they're seeing it like they don't deserve to get charged. It's more heartbreaking to know that his life is just going to be gone like that, no kind of justice.
Why I believe it was planning was the fact that when he got shot, my little sister ran out and you can see her in the camera where she's like stepping back, and she's screaming, and my mom said Dalia's reaction was, Christy, what did you do? And then by the time, Wilson fell on the ground and he started bleeding through his mouth and that's where they wanted to put him in the vehicle so they could go. Before Dalia ever even moved, Dalia got the gun from her niece, put it back in her purse and walked towards the vehicle. Listen, if you see someone get shot in front of you, your first reaction is to try to help, try to do something. Their reaction to it didn't seem like, oh my god, it was a mistake or shocked.
And following the withdrawal of charges, Vellos issued a statement on her Facebook page where she details the abuse she reportedly faced at the hands of Hernandez. She stated, quote, "Many times I was abused, taken like a punching bag and the scars left on my body are nothing compared to the emotional damage. I was left bleeding couldn't even recognize the person on the mirror and on top being raped and forced to do many things. If he was good to you, sorry I wasn't as lucky, I received his darkest side." End quote. She also released this video, showing her injuries after one of the incidents.
She also sent the video to Schubert, who didn't deny that her brother was abusive towards Vellos. However, she said that she advised both of them to end their relationship.
Julissa Schubert, Sister of Deceased
Wilson and Dalia have been together since 2020. Throughout the entire, I only know of those incidents and the one where she posted the video, she sent it to me and I told her, leave, you have to leave, get a restraining order against him and just leave. And she was just like, I can't leave, the police won't do anything and I remember telling her to leave and like a couple days later, I kept checking on her everyday, and she kept acting like she couldn't talk to me so I let it go. Then my brother sent me a voice message and I hear her in the background and I'm like okay well they made up back, they're good. Then they ended up getting into another argument and she told him, oh you think your sister has your back? She same one told me to leave you and get a restraining order against you. And he called me and he's like, Julie, how will you tell Dalia to leave me? And I'm like, Wilson I found out what you did and I don't condone that, and we had a back and forth, curse him out, all kinds of stuff, and it ended there. He was mad at me that I was speaking to her trying to advise her to leave him and I'm like it's only right that she leaves, she never left.
Honestly, what could I as his sister do for her? What could I do? I spoke to him, I told him to leave her. The way how their relationship started and the way how it got, just leave each other alone but they were both too toxic.
She added that while she condemned her brother's actions, it did not warrant him being killed.
Julissa Schubert, Sister of Deceased
They just used to fight and they had a toxic relationship and I just believe it didn't have to end in him dying.
We are just like we're trying to heal from what happened, none of us expected him to die, we can't do nothing because nothing is going to bring him back. Nothing is going to bring him back and Wilson left my nephews in my mom's care and we have to focus on them being taken care of for the rest of their life.
In her Facebook post, Dalia Vellos writes, quote, "I am aware of threats and talk of "street justice." Every single rumor, comment, or conspiracy that threatens us or calls for vigilante action is being documented and followed up. If anything happens to me or my family, there will be a clear trail to trace where it came from."
