7 News Belize

Working Man Murdered in Random Act of Ruthlessness
posted (May 7, 2018)
We turn now to Belize City where two men were killed between Saturday night and Sunday morning.

The first murder appears to be a textbook case of that overused phrase: "senseless murder".

It happened in the Saint Martin's area and the victim was a working man with no ties to the streets.

43 year old Mechanic Daniel Guardado 43 was just out on a Saturday night - looking for a friend to show off his new motorbike. That's when a gunman - who was looking for someone else - seems to have decided to kill the first person he saw - and it was Guardado.

Our news team has been retracing his last hours alive, and Daniel Ortiz reports:

Daniel Ortiz reporting
43 year-old Daniel Guardado was killed in a senseless shooting on Saturday night. That's the prevailing sentiment we got today from area residents we spoke with.

It happened sometime around 9:30, on this small lane that area residents refer to as part of Partridge Street Extension.

Friends tell us that he was socializing here at this bodyworks shop at the end of Vernon Street, which leads to the Lord's Ridge Cemetery.

We're told that he stopped at this Mechanic Shop briefly, and he then went around the lane to his friend's house.

Residents tell us that he was asking for that friend who wasn't at home; he wanted to show off the motorcycle he just bought.

While he was having a conversation with his friend's brother, a gunman rode up, and parked his bicycle on this junction, right near the house.

That gunman then walked into the lane where Guardado was, and pulled out his weapon. Before Guardado could be warned about the impending attack, the gunman started shooting. About 5 shots reportedly rang out, and some of them found their target on Guardado's body.

He collapsed on the street right next to his motorcycle. Blood stains in this drain suggests that he tried to flee, but he most likely couldn't go any further. We're told that the gunman then walked back to the corner of the street, and to cover his escape from the scene, he then fired about 3 more shots in the direction of a group of people socializing at the mechanic shop. He then jumped on his bike, and rode away.

Guardado was rushed to the KHMH, but he was pronounced dead on arrival.

ASP Alejandro Cowo - OC, CIB Belize City
"Police responded to shot fired at Partridge Street Extension and as a result police visited that location and just on the street side, police were able to observe the motionless body of a male person that was lying on the street side beside a motorcycle. The person was identified as Daniel Guardado, a Belizean of the Gungulung area. What police gathered so far is that Mr. Guardado was pushing his motorcycle in that area when he was approached by a male person on bicycle who fired several shot at his direction causing the fatal injuries. So far police is looking for one person that will assist us in this investigation."

From all accounts, Guardado was a working man, killed senselessly, some suspect, because the gunman wanted to send some kind of message.

ASP Alejandro Cowo
"We understand that he was a mechanic and he worked at a mechanic shop not far from where he was shot. Originally he is from the Belmopan area, but he only go work there in Belize City and then goes back to Belmopan."

Reporter
"Do police know what caused or why this shooter target this gentleman? Suggestion in the area is that it's some random senseless shooting."

ASP Alejandro Cowo
"That is the angle that we are looking for and that is what the investigation is pointing at this moment."

We're told that Guardado is originally from Belmopan, or one of the surrounding communities nearby. He has worked with multiple mechanics and vehicle body works experts. Up until recently, he was working here at this mechanic shop, and in the multiple years of his employment, he became close friends with a number of his coworkers.

Sydney Fermin - Friend of the Deceased
"I come here every day. Danny doesn't trouble people like that. He is a normal person and he does his own bodyworks. He use to work here with we and from there he use to work at Vista Del Mar doing bodyworks."

Reporter
"Do you think it's an innocent man killed in the streets?"

Sydney Fermin - Friend of the Deceased
"Innocent, because he didn't trouble anyone."

Reporter
"What was he like as an individual? Is he somebody easy to talk to?"

Sydney Fermin - Friend of the Deceased
"Easy to talk to and humble."

His murder has stunned his friends who expected him to return that night for a few more hours of socializing. One friend told us that he was waiting for Guardado to return, and he didn't, everyone around thought that he simply went home. They did not expect to be told that he was gunned down.

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