Ricky Valencia is dead. The notorious street figure was killed last night, executed in front of his old haunt near the base of the Southside gangsters on Caesar Ridge Road.
If you don't know Valencia it means you probably don't watch the news much. Most famously, he is one of the two men accused of the attempted murder of the Prime Minister's law partner, Rodwell Williams.
But before - and after that - he'd been accused of a battery of crimes, from murder, bank robbery and armed robbery, right down to petty crimes such as theft and handling. He had multiple cases pending before the court.
But those were or are only accusations - to our knowledge - he was never convicted: Valencia got off every time. But last night, he couldn't get away from a shooter who had him marked for death.
The shooter waylaid him close to his old stomping grounds on Caesar Ridge road. The harsh circumstances of his murder ended weeks of reports that he had been marked for death on the streets.
7news was on the scene last night where residents from the Yabra area crowded around to see how one of the city's most notorious had been executed:
Monica Bodden Reporting
This is where the shooting happened - in front of Little Wilt's place on Caesar Ridge Road - just a stone's throw away from the deceased Andre Trapp's house - what used to be considered as the base of SSG.
It happened a little after 9 last night.
Heavy police presence stood guard over the embattled neighborhood while the entire Yabra Community came out in crowds - looking on in disbelief - stunned at what they were seeing.
The scenes of crime team searched for expended shells around the area - while the body of Ricky Valencia - one of the city's most notorious gangsters - was still inside his white Toyota corolla car - sitting in a pool of blood on the driver's side.
3 expended shells where recovered from inside his car - at this time, police are still trying to identify what type.
It was an execution style killing - Valencia had been shot multiple times - to the left and right temple, right and left upper shoulder and left fist.
His body was pulled out his vehicle by police, placed on a stretcher and then escorted through the crowd and unto the morgue.
Raphael Martinez - Public Relations Office, Police Ministry
"Last night, just after 9 o'clock, police visited the Queen Charlotte Street area, in front of Little Wilt's place in the Yabra region. We then saw a 4 door, white Toyota Corolla parked on the left side of the road heading to the Belize Port area. Inside that vehicle, they saw the motionless body of Ricky Valencia, 24 years-old, of a Queen Charlotte Street Address, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds to the body. Initial investigations revealed that last night, while he was driving toward the Port of Belize area, several gunshots were heard that caused his fatal injuries."
According to people in the area, they heard several gunshots ring out. From what we understand, Valencia was driving his white Toyota Corolla car heading towards the Port - when he was stopped by someone - which gave his attacker ample time to execute.
Raphael Martinez
"Police have since interviewed quite a few residents in that area, but so far, no one has been detained in connection with this shooting. The body has since been transported to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital Morgue, where it now awaits a post-mortem. So far, 3 slugs were found, but forensic evidence has not revealed the type."
Marion Ali - Love News
"Now, Ricky Valencia is no stranger to the law. His name has come up several times, most recent of which involved the heist at the Heritage Bank in Orange Walk, and since then that murder not far from where he lived off Caesar Ridge Road. Can you say what direction taking? Is it looking at those aspects as well?"
Raphael Martinez
"Well I'm definitely sure that the investigation will uncover what ever stone that needs to be turned over to investigate the motive of this shooting, but as you mentioned, unfortunately, he was involved in several crimes throughout his tenure."
Marion Ali
"We just left his girlfriend's house, and police took her to the station. Is she being considered - what - an accomplice, or one of his people who stored him when police wanted him? Are you looking at maybe she knew what happened; She was with him just before the incident?"
Raphael Martinez
"Well, you know police will actually try to find whatever lead is possible to determine the motive of this shooting incident, So, I'm sure that she will just be interviewed. I'm not really sure what direction it will take but I'm sure that she will add to whatever investigation the police are undertaking at this point."
28 year old Ricky Valencia was murdered only 7 days way from his trial date for the attempted murder of Attorney Rodwell Willliams. In an interview with his girlfriend of 3 years - she mentioned that Valencia had been acting a little abnormal over the past few days.
Kimberly Ceigo - Valencia's Girlfriend of 3 years
"Well, from yesterday he came out of prison, and from then we started to quarrel. He was just acting strange. He came home, bathe, and he then dropped off at the UDP convention. He told me that he was going to take a 'circle'. He went home and that was the last of it."
Marion Ali - Love News
"Do you know why they had him detained?"
Kimberly Ciego
"According to him, it was for some robbery that happened up the road because he went up the road."
Marion Ali
"You said that he was acting strange. What do you mean?"
Kimberly Ciego
"When I went to pick him up from the station, he started scold me and saying that I wasn't worrying about him, about how I wanted to go have fun."
Marion Ali
"Does he normally spend the day with you? You live together, right? You used to live together."
Kimberly Ciego
"Yes, we live together."
Marion Ali
"So, the robbery that he was talking about that police had him detained for, was he with you at home, at the time, or no?"
Kimberly Ciego
"No, he was on the road."
But despite his gangster persona and his long criminal history his girlfriend described him to us as a good person.
Kimberly Ciego
"He was sweet, loving, fun. We were happy together."
Marion Ali - Love News
"Did you have kids together?"
Kimberly Ciego
"No."
Marion Ali
"Can you talk to us about - well you know the charges that they've brought against him. One was for the attempted murder, the other was for the robbery in Orange Walk, and there are a few other charges - accusations that were made against him. You were his girlfriend for 3 years, you said. I'm sure that you've provided some alibi on those occasions when he was accused of these crimes."
Kimberly Ciego
"I don't really want to speak about those."
Marion Ali
"Over the last couple weeks, his life had come under threat - that's my understanding. Someone was threatening him. Did he tell you of this?"
Kimberly Ciego
"No, I don't know about any threat. I just know when they had gone to court, they started rumors that he had gotten killed."
Marion Ali
"That court case was for which case?"
Kimberly Ciego
"The attempted murder of the lawyer."
And in 2008 Valencia himself told us that he had been wrongfully acused before:
Ricky Valencia - May 23, 2008
It is not the first time. It has happened more than one time and every time it is the same thing and the case doesn't even go to a trial. Before it reaches trial it gets dashed out but people don't see that at the end of the day - they just see that they accused me of doing it and so it is me - and at the end of the day nothing happens."
But last night something did happen - and Ricky Valencia - who had escaped death before - was executed with ruthless precision.
So who shot Ricky Valancia ?
There are indications which suggest it may have been someone from his very own turf -
Kimberly Ciego
"Well, he and those people went on bad terms after a murder happened, so, I don't know."
Marion Ali
"Which people?"
Kimberly Ciego
"The people out of Yabra - I don't know if it's them who killed him."
No one has been detained and police are looking at different angles - including the possibility that it could be related to the murder of Noel Biggs Usher in October of last year.
Street talk was that Valencia may have been somehow involved in that because he and Usher had been accused of the robbery of Heritage Bank in Orange Walk - and Usher was cooperating with police in the investigation.
It's worth noting also that as recently Valencia had been in police custody - as a suspect in the robbery of seventy thousand dollars from A Gonzalo Quinto and Sons deliveryman.
Notably, concerning the Rodwell Williams attempted murder trial in the Supreme court, Valencia was set to be the first trial without jury.
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