Yesterday, an unidentified man was found dead on Regent Street. It wasn't until his picture was posted on social media that his family realized it was 44-year-old Eugene Martinez.
Martinez lived a tough life out on the streets, battling mental illness. His sister said she's had to endure many of his violent episodes. Today she told us that her sister told her on Christmas Day that he'd been seen foaming at the mouth, but by the time she went to the hospital, he wasn't there.
Courtney Menzies has this story.
44-year-old Eugene Martinez's body was found on Regent Street on Christmas day. He'd been labelled as a John Doe, until he was identified by his sister.
52-year-old Janice Flores had a tumultuous relationship with her brother. He'd been living with a mental illness and acted out violently towards her. Still, she says, he was still her brother, and she's devastated at the decisions he made that ultimately led to his death.
Janice Flores, Sister of Deceased
"He's a mental patient and he smokes, yes he's my brother, I'm not going to hide anything, he smokes so we don't know if it was the drugs that made him collapse and foam up so I wouldn't know."
"They told my son this morning that his lungs collapsed."
"16 years ago he was at the mental Rockview and then he was at the one in Belmopan, Palmview, and he came out and we helped, my mom, my sister, my brother, all of us helped but that's the life that he chose, to go smoke. Smoke weed and then from there went and smoked crack so that's the worst part. Twice he beat me up in my house, he threw bottles at me, nearly burnt down my house twice, I been through a lot, only me knows how it feels at this moment."
"He's a friendly person, a kind person, but when he's in his mood, nobody can stop him, not even my mom."
"I'm the only provider, I'm the only person who is working and I tried my best to help him, I tried my very very best to help my brother but I didn't know this was going to be the worse, yes, he's my brother, I love him, he almost burnt down my house twice, then from there he lived on the street, it's my brother but I didn't know he would burn down my house, I didn't know he would die that way but I'm glad we found him so we can bury him."
And in the same month that Martinez celebrated his birthday, his family will now also have to plan a funeral.
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