The 4-day Easter weekend was calm in the Belize City war zones - there was no report of gang - related violence, but still, by the time Easter Monday was done - there had been 4 murders in the Corozal, Belize and Cayo Districts.
We start out with the first murder which resulted from a stabbing that happened on Thursday night. 40 year-old Manuel Canales, a naturalized Belizean from Antelope Street Extension in Belize City was stabbed to death by an acquaintance.
Canales was a hard-working family man, and he and his family had plans for the Easter holiday - but he'd never see Easter - he died on Good Friday morning - hours after being stabbed.
Our news team went looking for answers today; we spoke to police and his family about the street attack by one of his former employees. Here's what they told us:
Wilfredo Ferrufino - Inspector, CIB
"Police responded to a person suffering from a stab wound at the KHMH. On arrival, police discovered 42 year-old Manuel Canales suffering from a single stab wound to the right abdominal area, the lower area of his abdomen. Investigation revealed that he was walking on Antelope Street, in the company of another male person when he was approached by an individual who inflicted the injury on him. Mr Canales passed away on the 30th, the following morning, some around 6 a.m."
Voice of: Wilfred Blanco - Stepson of the Deceased
"To be real, we don't really know about what happened, you know, he left his vehicle at the yard of another group of people, and then, he came. On the way, when he was just coming to his house, then that happened. They stabbed the man, you know? The man that stabbed him, he used to be his workman, long time. They met him. I don't know why. Afterwards, I don't know what happened."
Wilfredo Ferrufino
"In regards to that incident, police had detained one individual, and on the 31st, A 22 year-old Evyin Ardon - he's a Honduran national living in the Antelope Street Extension - has been charge for murder."
Reporter
"Your stepfather ever mentioned that he had problems with this gentlman, Mr. Ardon?"
Voice of: Wilfred Blanco
"Never, my stepfather was a cool person always laughing, playing around, everybody in the neighborhood knows him. He never had a problem with anybody, from home to work. He goes about his business the way he wants to go. Problem, like that, we're never involved in problems like that."
Reporter
"Why is it that this gentleman was attacked?"
Wilfredo Ferrufino
"I wouldn't want to comment on that. He has been charged for murder."
Voice of: Wilfred Blanco
"We never expected this. We had plans. We had some plans to go to the river and spend some time, and he already bought everything that we had to take. We couldn't go because this happened."
Reporter
"How long did your father and his alleged attacker worked together?"
Voice of: Wilfred Blanco
"To be real, it's about a couple weeks, but that was a long time ago. He used to come here and work."
Canales is the father of 2 sons, and he's also has 2 stepchildren. He was a mason and a contractor by trade, and that's how he met his alleged assailant.
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