Man Murdered while Relaxing in Hammock with Wife

Police are currently investigating a tragic murder that took place on Friday evening in Cotton Tree Village. Thirty-year-old Seferino Maas Pop and his wife, Amalia, were peacefully relaxing in their hammock on the front veranda when a male voice called out to Pop. Moments later, the man fired several shots, fatally wounding Pop. News Five’s Britney Gordon has the full report.

 

Britney Gordon, Reporting

On Friday night, thirty-year-old Seferino Maas Pop was unwinding with his wife, relaxing in a hammock on their front veranda in Cotton Tree Village, when tragedy struck. It had only been about half an hour since Pop had come home from a long day at work when someone called out “Leeco,” a childhood nickname. Moments later, gunshots rang out, fatally wounding Pop. His brother, Alfonso Pop, was among the last to see him alive.

 

Voice of: Alfonso Pop, Brother of Deceased

“My lee breda just mi do come work with me. We just mi reach bout twenty minutes after work. I mi di look fi go bathe in the shower. I just hear some shots burst outside and then I come out outside. I looking for somebody. I mi think police deh round because police deh around every minute. I just come out, I looking around, fi he wife mi di bawl.  She seh oh you breda, ney kill you breda. We tek like surprise because da lee bwai, he noh get into problem. Always I seh to everybody. Always when somebody done dead, ney call him a good person or a and person but this whole village di seh bout this lee young bally yah, ehy ney kill because I know I have other brothers when ney drunk ney look foi problem and so but he, when he drunk he noh get no problem with nobody.”

 

As the shots rang out, Cho dashed into the house, miraculously escaping unharmed. Despite this, Cho and the rest of the family are deeply shaken by the targeted attack. Pop mentioned that if the shooter hadn’t called his brother by name, he would have thought it was a case of mistaken identity.

 

Voice of: Alfonso Pop

“They call fi he name before ney do that. So we cya seh ney do it by mistake or ney come deal with the wrong person. I can’t seh. If ney no call fi he name, we mi wa seh maybe ney gone look fi other persons and ney kill the wrong person. But ney call his name before tney come to fi he house.”

 

According to A.C.P. Hilberto Romero, police are yet to determine a motive but have two suspects in custody.

 

A.C.P. Hilberto Romero, Regional Commander, Eastern Division

“Around seven p.m, police responded to a shooting incident at Cotton Tree Village.  Upon the arrival, they saw the lifeless body of Seferino Pop. Information that he was on the veranda of his house when someone called his name.  He got up and that is when several shots were heard causing his fatal injuries. In regards to this investigation, we have two persons in custody.  And the investigation continues.”

 

At the time of the attack, police were out on their nightly patrols in the area, which has unfortunately become a hotspot for violent crimes in recent years.

 

A.C.P. Hilberto Romero

“Operations are being conducted how searches and different policing operations in that area, but by the time they responded, the suspect had already left.”

 

The loss of his brother is a devastating blow for Alfonso, who had been supporting Seferino in building a life with his family. That day, Alfonso had invited Seferino to work with him and share a meal, not knowing it would be their last lunch together.

 

Voice of: Alfonso Pop

“My lee breda, like I said, I know he just work everyday. Seven to five. Just come home, we do a lee drinking and so. No all the weekend to but he drink. But like I seh, he no offend nobody. Like everybody she he used to heng all round the village, go Belmopan and so ney she why ney kill the young bwai but da di person weh no offend nobody.”

 

Romero explained that the police employ a variety of tactics to reduce crime in the area, driven by different motivating factors.

 

A.C.P. Hilberto Romero

“We have different, one is drug activity and other rivalries between persons not area. There is a team that is in that area to try to prevent these shootings.”

 

Britney Gordon for News Five.