7 News Belize

Bar-owner Gunned Down In ‘Griga
posted (January 27, 2020)
And coming back to Belize...

It was a very violent weekend and we have four murders to report tonight, two in the South, and two in Belize City.

We start on Friday night in Dangriga where a bar owner was apparently executed inside his bar. It's a popular watering hole and today Cherisse Halsall went to Dangriga's Wagierale area to find out more.

On Friday night, Darrell Bermudez Laurie was serving drinks inside Hide and Seek Bar in the Wagierale area of Dangriga. That's when two men rode up to the bar on bicycles, one of them stepped onto the verandah and opened fire on the barkeep. Darrell was shot three times. He didn't survive.

Phillip Augusto Swaso Sr., Grandfather of the deceased
"I didn't get the full story, you never could get the truth. They saw them. One of the guys who were trying to get to them, because he ran after them. I think he rode his bicycle and that it gave him trouble. He had to park it. That's his story, he was here this morning. He said he went back to the bar to gtet his motorcycle and by time ge got his motorcycle he got separate."

"According to what I hear, I haven't someone told me that I think one of the bullets came through his eyes."

"Darrel he born and grew here with us but once he was in the United States of America well he was deported and here he tried to make a life for himself."

"Right now I'm in grief the whole family in grief worse his grandmother, she was the one she always behind his back, behind his back, behind his back."

"Up until the very last he was here the morning normally he comes to prepare his breakfast and he goes back to his business. I visit the place but I just passed there and pass through."

"So when that thing happened oh well I had to shed a tear because my mother died a couple years ago I hadn't shead a tear, my father died, my two sisters passed away I still don't shed a tear but he was the one who always brought down my tears."

"So I really feel it in my heart if I was a weak man maybe I would have been on the ground. Yes because, mein, It's very hard."

Darrel was no stranger to police. And while his death may not shock the cops they hesitate to call it an execution.

ACP Joseph Myvette
"What the police know so far is that he seemingly was alone shortly after 6:30 pm or thereabouts when he was approached by two male persons who rode up on bicycles and one of those persons apparently fired those shots at him before leaving the area so far we don't have anyone detained and we are trying to establish a motive."

Jules Vasquez:
"But clearly robbery was not a motive?"

ACP Joseph Myvette
"Not from what was gathered at scene."

Jules Vasquez:
"Sir is this someone I know he owned a popular watering hole, is he somebody on the police's radar?"

ACP Joseph Myvette
"He's known to police. He is know to police."

Jules Vasquez:
"So then it appears to be one of these and I know this is not a term that you all use but it appears to be an execution-style murder. We know that we've seen a number of these in Dangriga and they've many times been related to drug activity, is there any known drug element in this?"

ACP Joseph Myvette
"Not at this time but we are following all the information that is being given to us in relation to this case."

Darrel's Grandfather is a realist about the life he says his grandson lead. He says that the family's advice against certain behaviours fell on deaf ears.

Phillip Augusto Swaso Sr., Grandfather of the deceased
"Yeah he lived his life, that's the style of his life that's his lifestyle and it's not that we don't try to advise him to live a way that you know he would not give us no kind of hard feeling cause u know to be honest with you every time his grandmother and he says alright granny, alright granny."

"Even though we spoke to him that's how he ended up they say you live fast and die young."

"So right now, we will miss him regardless of what life he has lived. That's human beings so we'll miss him, one day, we won't forget him so, God be with him."

Darrel Bermudez's grandparents witnessed his postmortem this afternoon at the Southern Regional Hospital. It is unfortunate for the honest, hardworking couple that the only information they can hope to have about the last moments of the life of the boy they raised are the injuries to which he succumbed.

Darrel Bermudez Laurie leaves behind two children, a boy and a girl.

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