7 News Belize

Stann Creek Construction Worker Murdered At Jobsite
posted (June 17, 2013)
Tonight, the family and friends of 24 year-old Elias Santos a resident of Bella Vista Village in Stann Creek are trying to come to terms with the terrible news that he passed away sometime this weekend.

But while Santos resides in Stann Creek, he was killed 8 miles outside of Belize City. That's a far away from his home, and so 7News went looking for answers today at his workplace. Daniel Ortiz has that story.

Daniel Ortiz reporting
This morning, police responded to the report that someone had been found dead in the Western Pines area at around 8:20.

Inspector Calbert Flowers - Acting Rural Executive Officer
"Acting upon information received, the hattieville police visited the house of which is under construction in the Western Pines area on the Western Highway. Where upon arrival they saw the apparent lifeless body of a male person lying face up in the bathroom area of the house. The body was examined where it was observed that it had several cut wounds to the head area. The body was later identified as Elias Santos, a 24 year old male who resides in Bella Vista village in the Stann Creek district."

Reports are that Santos was working for only 2 weeks with the company, CP Building, as a mason and watchman. He was last seen by his employer on Saturday evening. His co-workers reported to work this morning and found his body in the bathroom of the house he was working on.

Inspector Calbert Flowers
"A weapon was discovered in the area that we believe may have caused the wound, again we're awaiting the post mortem results to confirm all these information."

Reporter
"Can you tell us what the weapon was?"

Inspector Calbert Flowers
"The weapon that was received in the area was an axe."

Reporter
"So he was hacked to death?"

Inspector Calbert Flowers
"We believe that that axe may been the weapon that caused those injuries, however, the post mortem will confirm all this information for us."

And the working theory that police have, based on what they found, is that sometime between Saturday evening and Monday morning, Santos was laying down tiles. While he was in the bathroom area working, someone attacked him from behind chopping him 2 or 3 times in the head.

There are no suspects at this time, but he was supposed to be alone, at least that's what his boss told police. He didn't have a wallet, or identification on him, but all of his tools were accounted for. That lack of identification proved difficult for investigators, but they found list of family phone numbers in his possessions.

Inspector Calbert Flowers
"We contacted hi family down in Bella Vista. He has a place that he was staying here in Belize and we also contacted those that he used to stay with."

Police are imploring witnesses come forward to help them solve this crime.

Police will have the results of Santos' post-mortem tomorrow. The house that he was working on was in the final stages of construction.

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