7 News Belize

Pool Player Par Excellence Robbed and Killed
posted (May 22, 2018)
Our next murder story brings us back to Belize City - where another sportsman was killed. Juan Angel Vargas made his name as a master pool player, while he made his money as a hotdog vendor in Belize City. But he won't be playing any more pool or selling hotdogs. Around 4:00 on Sunday morning Vargas was preyed upon by robbers outside his home on Tigris Street. Sahar Vasquez found out more about the pool playing master, cut down by a petty thief:

Juan Angel Vargas won this trophy two weeks ago when he crushed the competition in the Belize District Singles Pool competition. He won the rest of these trophies in his 20 years of competing in pool tournaments all around Belize. It would be an understatement to say he was a good pool player. The game came naturally to him.

Relative of Deceased
"His other side of enjoyment was pool and pool you will see he was an expert in everything he did when it came to pool."

"He was an expert in that. If you go inside and see all that has achieved, he has more than 30 trophies inside his house."

Vargas had every intention of continuing his remarkable winning streak but regrettably, his run is over. Not because of an injury or disqualification but because he was murdered.

Vargas or "Chipsman" as he was known was also a famed street hot dog vendor. On Sunday night he had a worker selling hot dogs for him while he competed in a small pool tournament at Lion King Club. The two wrapped up around 3 am. They drove back to Vargas's house on Tigris street. While unloading the vending equipment things took a dramatic turn for the worst.

Relative of Deceased
"He was playing a pool tournament in the morning so while he parked and she went out he came out and opened the back door of the vehicle to take out the rest of the stuff. His ice box and other things that he takes to the place to sell. While the girl went inside she heard one shot and then another and she cried out and said "Angel"."

By the time she got outside, he was lying face down in a pool of his own blood and all the money he made that night was gone.

Relative of Deceased
"The sale of the night the bag went missing and then he had two wallets. One that he kept his driver's license and others US dollars that he had saved that was missing. The other wallet that did not have much was found. Immediately after that happened about half a minute later the police got to the spot and the suspects got away."

Vargas originally from Honduras migrated to Belize got married and built a successful life for himself but now he will never get to enjoy that life he worked so hard to build.

Relative of Deceased
"He has been staying here for the past 20 years with my aunt. He was not a troublesome person he was a hardworking food finder for his family. He sold chips, hotdogs, tortas, whatever you want at his little business he and my aunt."

Relative of Deceased
"He was a nice person and he loved what he did. He loved to sell to make money for his family."

"Everyone here will miss him. They called him the chips man. That is all I have to say I am really downhearted about what the killers did to him. They took away a loved one who will be sadly missed."

Vargas had a number of children, including young ones.

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