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A businessman was murdered in cold blood last night in Orange Walk Town and a major revelation is that the motive doesn’t appear to have been robbery. It was a particularly cruel killing –53 Baldemar Moguel was shot dead in front of his wife and all indications are that it was a well planned and executed hit. But by whom and why? Our team went to Orange Walk for answers.

Keith Swift Reporting,
Today the shutters were down at the D&J Supermarket on Stadium Street in Orange Walk Town and that is because the body of its murdered owner – 53 year old Baldemar Moguel was arriving in Belize City for a post mortem. Moguel and his now distraught wife – were inside the supermarket last night at 7:55 when two dark skinned men – travelling in this red Toyota Corrolla with taxi license plates stormed into the store.

Insp. Selvin Tillett, Deputy OIC – Orange Walk Police
“One with a red shirt and one with a white shirt and ordered two pounds of beans. Apparently Mr. Moguel went to retrieve the beans and on his way back the one with red shirt pointed a firearm to Mr. Moguel and discharged probably four to five rounds.”

Frightened neighbours heard the gunshots.

Felipe Cal, Neighbour
“Last night I was taking a drink when I heard the shots.”

Bert Campos, Neighbour
“I heard about five gunshots and only three caught him so two ended up in the refridge, bust open the Red Bull and the Guinness and those things. So they shoot three shots, two missed him, but the bally said he would have shoot more but the gun snapped. So the gun snapped and so they rolled and they gaan.”

Voice of Neighbour,
“Like quarter to eight we heard something the knock like it was knocking so I was putting my baby to sleep.”

Keith Swift,
“So you didn’t think it was gunshots?”

Voice of Neighbour,
“No because we nuh use to those things so we may find it funny. We couldn’t believe it was gunshots because the way it sounded was like they were beating. I asked but dah what that and one of my son said it was palamita and it was the gunshots.”

There were five gunshots. Baldemar Moguel had been shot in the head, chest, abdomen, and right hand. The gunman then attempted to shoot Baldermar’s wife – he pulled the trigger twice but it was empty; all the live rounds had been expended on her husband. They then fled in the red Toyota Corrolla. His niece Xiomara Munoz was about a block away at work when she got the news and rushed to the scene.

Xiomara Munoz, Niece of Murder Victim
“I did not believe it until I heard the ambulance and I was still asking if it was my uncle and they said and a couple of minutes afterwards I heard he already passed away. There are no words that could explain what happened. He was a hard working man. He got up early in the morning about 6 to open his store. He worked hard, he closed late.”

So why did someone kill this hardworking self-made businessman? For starters - nothing was stolen from the store and no attempt was made to raid the cash register.

Bert Campos,
“It can’t be robbery because all the money is in the cash register. If somebody robbed you, they would take all the money and go. They didn’t thief the money. They shoot him and gone. So maybe I would say somebody paid those boys to kill home bwai, to kill my friend.”

Inspector Selvin Tillett was however a bit more guarded in his speculation about a motive.

Insp. Selvin Tillett,
“At this moment we are still investigating as to the motive because we didn’t know it was robbery or just a hit. We don’t know as yet so we’re still looking at different leads.”

Keith Swift,
“Are you guys investigating the possibility that a family member was involved?”

Insp. Selvin Tillett,
“As I said the investigation is young at this moment and I cannot say whether yes or no.”

Baldemar Moguel had been in business for more than 30 years. For 13 of those 30 years his supermarket and his bicycle store have been located here on Stadium Street. And for those 13 years Baldemar or Baldi as he was known was more than just a businessman. He was a neighbour first of all because his lived upstairs his store and he was also a friend who was beloved in this neighbourhood.”

Bert Campos,
“I really know the man too because I was lee boy when the man had a shop in front of my house on the side, San Victor Street, he moved and came here. When he came here he opened a different business and started to sell jewellery and thing and after that he opened a game shop and started to sell hot dogs and those things. But last night what happened really hurt us because he is our neighbour and thing and we care for the man. The man is like a mentor to we. He used to treat us good. Sometimes we go there to buy from him and if we don’t have change the man help us out and thing.”

Voice of Neighbour,
“From I dah lee gial I know those people and I don’t know them to have nothing with nobody so dah so life go – today you are here and tomorrow you nuh deh yah.”

Bert Campos,
“It frightened me because according to what I heard it is not boys from Orange Walk, it is boys from Belize City.”

Xiomara Munoz,
“We never thought this would happen to us. It was unexpected. He got up early in the morning for work like normal and this happened early in the night. It wasn’t late.”

Insp. Selvin Tillett,
“It’s really sad, everyone knows Mr. Moguel was a hardworking man and we assure the public that we are doing our outmost to put this to an end and we will try and solve this crime. This doesn’t mean that Orange Walk is out of control, it is just something that happened. It is a sad incident.”

Keith Swift,
“What would you want to say to the killer?”

Xiomara Munoz,
“I think that person doesn’t have a heart. I don’t know what to tell him. They should have thought what they did before they did it because we are mourning for this man who passed away and I don’t think they would want something like this to happen to them. I hope someone catches them and they pay for what they did.”

The Toyota Corolla used in the murder has been impounded. Police say the owner has always been questioned and they believe he knew nothing about the incident. Two suspects are detained but no one has been charged. This was Orange Walk’s second murder for 2010. The first was the murder-suicide of Cruzito Chan and Santos Concepcion Alvarez Depaz which occurred exactly two weeks ago.