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It happened in San Jose Village in the Orange Walk District and Monica Bodden has more:…

Monica Bodden Reporting
Around 5:30 on Christmas Eve - 72 year old Reginald Rowley was found inside his home in San Jose Village - by his wife and step daughter.

He was seen lying in a pool of blood - still fighting for life.

He had gotten into an argument with his stepson, 21 year old Amir Dominguez - who is believed to have been under the influence of alcohol or some sort of drug at the time.

No one witnessed what happened but according to police Rowley was badly beaten. He received several punches to his face.

Sherylie Reyes - Stepdaughter
"My stepfather call me saying that he was in a fight, that was the last call that I got from him that's why we went home because we didn't know it was so big. When we reach home he was right there. It was only him that notify us that he was in a fight."

Monica Bodden
"So when you got there your brother was not at home?"

Sherylie Reyes - Stepdaughter
"No he was at my house. He was at the other house sitting down."

The family says no police showed up to assist them - despite numerous calls.

Sherylie Reyes - Stepdaughter
"He was full of blood and swell up and we try call for assistant but no one could assist us, even the police didn't assist us."

According to Reyes, with the help of neighbors she and her mother managed to pick up her stepfather and take him to the hospital.

Sherylie Reyes - Stepdaughter
"No police assistant. i call 3 times. First when I call, a male answered and he told me that they were going to arrive in a while so I stand up on the street side because they don't know where I live, I stand up there and no police arrive. My mother call me again to go and help her and I went to help her. I call them again and a police woman answered and told me that they are going to reach there in a short while - no one didn't arrive so we went again and I call again and I said that I need an ambulance please this is an emergency - my stepfather is dying and that's when they told me 'do you have a vehicle available' and I just well and hang up the cell phone and I call my neighbor and they assisted me."

The family claims there was another hold up - this time at the Northern Regional Hospital. According to them there was no driver available for the ambulance to transport Rowley to Belize City.

Sherylie Reyes - Stepdaughter
"From there I reach at the hospital, there was no police at the hospital and I had to run and ask the doctor to please call the police for them to see that my stepfather is in a critical condition. So we were there and they say that they will take my stepfather to Belize City hospital. They say that they don't have any driver for the ambulance and then we wait for a long time then the ambulance came. They put my stepfather in the ambulance, they took my mom also. My mom call us like 2 hours after and told us that my stepfather die."

Reginald Rowley was dead on arrival at the KHMH. He received a number of scratches and bruises to the face, a cut wound under the chin and one under his right eye.

Sherylie Reyes - Stepdaughter
"I just see his head so big and his body was small and there was blood all over the house so I can't say where he got hit. I didn't see the fight, I don't know what happen but then he is big and we didn't realize it was him. When we went to the hospital they didn't tell us anything, he got cut wounds but I think it's because of the broken glasses from the fight. We don't know what happen at that moment."

As the family prepares this vault - where the 72 year old will be laid to rest …

They are all still trying to come to terms with what could have caused this son to take the life of the man he has known as father - for almost his entire life.

21 year old Amir Dominguez has been arrested and charged for murder.