Witness in High Profile Murder in Orange Walk is Slain

Gustavo Hernandez

There is a troubling murder to report tonight; a witness in the murder of Daniel Sosa was killed execution style in Orange Walk. Full disclosure in the case against highly connected Hilmar Alamilla accused with the Sosa murder, was scheduled for September fifth. But on Sunday morning, Gustavo Hernandez, who gave a statement and who was riding in the vehicle when Sosa was killed, came under fire which he did not survive. Hernandez’s family believes that he was targeted because of what he knew. News Five’s Duane Moody reports.

Hilmar Alamilla

Duane Moody, Reporting

Twenty-one year old Gustavo Hernandez was executed Sunday morning; shot multiple times to the head around the block from where he lived. But was he silenced for his damning statement in the murder case of Hilmar Alamilla? Hernandez gave a statement to police back in July in the murder of Daniel Sosa, for which Alamilla, a highly connected U.D.P. operative, was charged. But how close was Hernandez to the case? He was reportedly one of two persons that traveled along Alamilla when Sosa was killed inside the vehicle and his body dumped near the D’Victoria Hotel. Zoila Cal says her nephew’s life had been threatened, after giving that statement.

Voice of: Zoila Cal, Aunt of Murder Victim [Translated]

“He had a lot of reasons why someone would want him dead. He was a witness when they killed the guy Sosa. He spoke and gave a statement when it happened. And I don’t know if that’s the reason for his murder. He went to my house a lot and he said, “Auntie, they have threatened to kill me. When I asked him who, he said, he doesn’t know but my head is gold right now. My head is gold and soon you will get a call that I have been killed.”

Around five-thirty on Sunday morning, two masked gunmen took aim at Hernandez. As surveillance footage in the area would show, at five-thirty-five a.m., Hernandez would walk pass a local store on San Antonio Road with his girlfriend en route to her house. Less than a minute later, four shots rang out and a security guard runs to offer assistance.

Voice of: Security Guard

“I midi sit down and it wasn’t in my view. Yes I ran to assist because I hear the shot and I just ran and called the police.”

David Chi

Supt. David Chi, O.C., Orange Walk Police

“That said male person then later after shooting Hernandez, jumped on a bicycle and rode off in the direction of Sylvester Street where he fired some more shots and then made good his escape.”

Several other persons came to Hernandez’s aid. His girlfriend also ran from the gunmen as he was shot three times to the head. Police arrived to the scene within minutes, but by then, a Yo Creek resident had rushed Hernandez to the Northern Regional Hospital. He was transported to the K.H.M.H. in a coma and expired later that day around six-thirty.

Daniel Sosa

Voice of: Zoila Cal [Translated]

“I was at home when I received a call that they had shot my nephew, seven times and I did not believe because I know that when he goes out at night, he returns by eleven or twelve in the night. When I got to the hospital then were already transporting him to Belize City. I didn’t get to speak with him because he was in a coma.”

While there have been no arrests so far, police say that they are seeking several persons in connection with this murder. Duane Moody for News Five.