Search Resumes for Erwin Rodriguez as Mom Makes Frantic Appeal

Last week, we showed you the search for Erwin Rodriguez that led to the discovery of his bike in an area called “Dike,” located off Faber’s Road. The seventeen-year-old has been missing going on seven weeks and the family has been searching for him. In previous efforts, Rodriguez’s slippers were found and since the teen has not been seen nor heard from, his family fears that he was killed. A search party is going back to the “Dike” on Friday morning to look for the teenager’s body because they say they have been getting tips that he was killed and bagged and dumped in one of the sewage ponds. The family says they need the public’s help with their search efforts.

Jose Espat

Jose Espat, Search Team Lead

“We have a search planned for tomorrow. As usual the search starts about 9 – 9:30a.m, we get all the materials and the stuff ready and then we head to the area. I would really like to reach out to the public to every single Belizean out deh.   I need to ask every single person to be out here at 9a.m. We need a lot of people in this search party because we need to cover a vast area and the more persons we have the better systematic search we can carry out. Please, Belize, have compassion in your heart and join together. I want the mother of Erwin Rodriguez say a couple words and look at that mother and feel that pain she is going through because one day it might just be you out there feeling that pain and you would want us to be there for you.”

Erwin Rodriguez

Andrea Polanco

“Are you looking for other forms of assistance, apart from persons on the ground, do you need any other kind of help?”

Jose Espat

“We are looking for probably two more canoes; apart from that, basically we have everything else. If anyone wants to bring out food, water or whatever is welcome.   We just need people to come out because the area is huge and we have one of the streets that we have not searched because of the lack of resources but beside that we have most of what we need.”

Sylvia Rodriguez, Mother of Erwin Rodriguez

“If people could come out and help us with the search and if they have canoes, just lend us or rent it or some way but we need help like that fi people come out and help me find my son. [Crying]

Andrea Polanco

“I imagine it is very difficult for you to talk to about?”

Sylvia Rodriguez

Sylvia Rodriguez

“Yes.”

Andrea Polanco

“So you definitely need the help tomorrow?”

Sylvia Rodriguez

“Yes, ma’am.”

Andrea Polanco

“Is there anything you’d like to say to the public if they have information to help you find your son?”

Sylvia Rodriguez

“Yes. If anybody know something just don’t be afraid to talk. All I want is to find his body. I know people afraid fi talk but if they could at least say weh he deh or more or less weh we could find him.”

If you would like to join the search team tomorrow, you are asked to meet at nine in the morning in front of the El Shaddai Ministry.