Tonight, Seine Byte police are closer to bringing charges in the murder of a Costa Rican farm manager which happened on the Placencia Peninsula yesterday morning.
51 year old Rolando Cespedes was stabbed to death by a neighbor at his apartment in the Maya Beach area.
Police today told us what they know so far:
ASP Stacy Smith, Police Staff Officer
"Police have detained one male person in connection with an ongoing investigation into a stabbing incident, which resulted in the death of 51 year old Rolando Vida Cespedes, a Costa Rican national and general manager of Fyffes banana firm."
"The ongoing investigation commenced on Thursday, 26th March 2025, at around 8:30 a.m., when Placentia Police received a report of a stabbing incident at a residence located on Placentia Road in San Felipe District."
"The officers proceeded to that location where they encountered Cespedes with several wounds to the body, he was rushed to the Placentia Polyclinic. However, he later succumbed to the injuries that he sustained. Though police have detained a male person and we anticipate that an arrest will be forthcoming, we do not have a motive at this time."
Jules Vasquez
"Stabbings often arise from persons in closer, intimate proximity to each other. Was there any known relationship between the suspect and the victim?"
ASP Stacy Smith, Police Staff Officer
"The extent to which I can comment with that question is that we believe that the suspect was familiar with the victim, given the proximity within which they reside. I cannot comment if the relationship was something more than that."
Jules Vasquez
"Were there any previous reports made of any conflict between these individuals?"
ASP Stacy Smith, Police Staff Officer
"As I stated, we have nothing in relation to the motive of this incident. I have confirmed that because of the proximity within which the suspect and the victim live, I'm not saying they're neighbors, I'm just saying the proximity."
"It is suspected that they were familiar with each other. I cannot say if there was any previous history of dispute between them."
This evening, police confirmed that they have also recovered the suspected murder weapon.
UPDATE
Police have arrested and charged a man for a murder that occurred on the Placencia Peninsula yesterday morning.
Following investigations and after getting a directive from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, police charged 47-year-old Kisnett Kerney Picart, a Belizean self-employed resident of the Caribbean Way community for the murder of Rolando Cespedes.
The two were neighbors. Picart allegedly stabbed Cespedes 29 times.
