San Pedro teens shot in the head and dumped in Orange Walk
Charlie Espat & Eduardo Alamilla
Between Friday and Sunday nights: Four bodies, eight injured, including two women and a grenade is hurled at a south side house. The bloodbath over the weekend went like this. The bodies of two San Pedro missing teenagers were found on Saturday morning in the Orange Walk District, a shooting in front of a north side bar in the Old Capital left two dead and four others were injured. Earlier on Friday night, two women were shot and injured and a man was shot hours later. And on Sunday night shots rang out again in the south side, injuring one more. This morning the police called a press conference to explain the violence. We begin with a report by News Five’s Jose Sanchez on the bodies of two missing boys.
Jose Sanchez, Reporting
For a week, eighteen year old Charlie Espat and seventeen year old Eduardo Daniel Alamilla were missing. According to Alamilla’s mother, the decomposing bodies of the two teens were found in Santa Marta Village in Orange Walk.
Carmita Gonzalez Espat
Carmita Gonzalez Espat, Mother of Eduardo Alamilla
“They kill my son and my nephew. [crying] They were decomposed body; two of them. We recognized them sake of the clothes and the watch of my son and the t-shirt—the clothes weh ih got on and the tennis; everything weh ih mi got on dah fi my son. And Charlie, sake ah ih tattoo weh say, “Love Priscilla” and the gold chain and the watch weh ih mi got—my nephew. That’s the way we recognized their body.”
The police confirmed that they were both murdered. Postmortem results confirmed that they were both shot in the head.
Fitzroy Yearwood
Inspector Fitzroy Yearwood, Police Press Officer
“On Saturday, police visited an area in Santa Marta Village where they found the two bodies—what we can say partially buried. An apparent gunshot wound was seen to the back of one of the victims head. We know that the vultures in that area had already begun to interfere with bodies so a postmortem had to be done on the scene. Dr. Estradabran will release the findings of his postmortem that was conducted out there. We can say that we know that this is pointing in the direction of drug related.”
Jose Sanchez
“Were there signs of violence on the bodies?”
Insp. Fitzroy Yearwood
“There was. One of the bodies had an apparent gunshot wound to the head.”
But how they found themselves in a shallow grave in Orange Walk remains unknown. The teens were in Benque. Espat’s younger brother was with them while they were on their way to visit a man who had allegedly threatened their lives before. The youth said that he felt uncomfortable, so he got out of the vehicle.
Brother of Charlie Espat
Voice of: Brother of Charlie Espat
“They mi di plan fi go yonder dah Patrick Swan house weh Eric Swan mi deh. And they mi gwen meet wah friend dah the boat terminal too weh gone missing. And the bredda dehn mi di try find dehn, but dehn neva find them, they only find my two bredda dah Santa Marta. But dehn mi di plan fi go yonder dah fi dehn house. And then I jump off of the vehicle and then I gone dah di boat terminal and right there so I gone fi go dah San Pedro and then I tell my parents that my bredda and my cousin dehn gone dah Patrick Swan house. My pa get worried and then ih start call my cousin and then my cousin tell ahn dehn okay. But I know dehn neva okay because dehn mi done threaten fi kill dehn. That’s why I exit the vehicle or not I mi wah deh right pan the graveyard with them right now. None ah we neva mi deh di talk, we just mi di go along di follow the road. But after that when we done di reach around Belmopan, I start tell my bredda why he gwen deh so when dehn done threaten he. And then he tell me mek I noh worry because everything straight with he and this and that. And I just left them. I think ina my mind that Eric Swan sweet up my cousin and then my cousin sweet up my bredda and then dehn get along fu go dah Belize City. But I done know the report weh my pa give to the police dehn; that can’t go missing like that.”
Black bows are posted on the doors of the slain youths. Inside a shrine commemorating their lives sits by a candlelight. But the father of Charlie Espat is irate because the police are unable to find a report in which they recently detailed the threats to them.
Orlando Espat
Orlando Espat, Father of Charlie Espat and Uncle of Edwardo Alamilla
“It was eight days that they gone missing. But I made a report here in San Pedro about two months ago that Eric Swan threatened to kill my kids—same Charlie that’s missing—that he threatened to kill him or anyone of my sons that he could put his hands on. And I make this report and right now I am standing in front of the police trying to get a copy of the report from Mr. Hernandez. We stayed like half an hour di do the report because I tell ahn the names of my kids and everything. And right now I went in there to see Mister Hernandez and the inspector call Mister Hernandez di ask ahn ‘bout the report and the man say that we noh do no report. I don’t know what to say because how can a report disappear like that? You mean you just go and tear off the sheet? He di try wash off ih hand because he know that he mi commit negligence when he neva show Eric Swan that report and that he mi threaten to kill my boy them.”
Elodio Aragon Jr., Assistant Commissioner of Police
Elodio Aragon Jr.
“In regards to this situation of Alamilla and Espat, again this is an incident that is not free from criminal activity. We strongly believe based on our intelligence that this is a drug related incident and we are right now collaborating closely with the Orange Walk police officers there who are investigating this case along with members of our Crime Investigation Branch here in Belize City to try to piece this thing together and see how far we can get with this investigation. But definitely, this situation with Alamilla and Espat has to do with what we strongly believe to be drug related.”
Insp. Fitzroy Yearwood
“We are following several leads and we believe that if we locate someone that was mentioned as being seen with these young men in the vicinity of Orange Walk, maybe we can bring closure to this case.”
Reporting for News Five, Jose Sanchez.
We’ve seen some of these names before connected with murder and drugs. The cartels are getting entrenched here — WHAT WILL GOB DO ABOUT IT?
Hon.Saldivar, stopping this carnage is your portfolio, what YOU are paid for. If you can’t or don’t want to do the job, please step aside for someone who can and will.
IF THESE KILLERS ARE TAKEN ALIVE, THEY MUST HANG — no excuses, no mercy.
TO THE FAMILY I SYMPATHIZE…..I COULD ONLY IMAGINE, WHAT IT FEELS LIKE TO CARRY A CHILD FOR 9 MTHS, BIRTH HIM, RAISE HIM, ESTABLISH A RELATIONSHIP AND A BOND WITH HIM, ALL TO HAVE HIM SNATCHED AWAY FROM YOU, BY SOMEONE! REGARDLESS OF WHAT THEY SAY THE CAUSE WAS, TO ADD INSULT TO INJURY, THE POLICE CANT FIND THE REPORT THAT WAS MADE BY YOU TO HELP. THEN ON TOP OF THAT, IF THEIR RECIEVING LEADS AS TO WHO MIGHT OF DONE IT, THAT PERSON SHOULDVE BEEN PICKED UP IMMEDIATELY, TO BE INTERROGATED. I REALLY DONT UNDERSTAND…….. IM SORRY BUT .WITH THE EXCEPTION OF A FEW.,..LEADERS ARE SHOWING LACK OF INTEREST IN HOW BELIZE IS A LOVELY PLACE, BUT ITS FAILING DAILY, IN HOW ITS BEING RAN AS FAR AS ENFORCING STRICTER LAWS ON CRIMINALS, AND HOLDING LEADERS ACCOUNTABLE FOR THEIR ACTIONS, DONT CARE WHO THEY ARE ……HOW CAN U EXPECT THE CITIZENS TO ABIDE, IF THE LEADERS ARENT………POLICE MEN, GUARDS, ETC,
IF YOU CANT TRUST THE POLICE IN YOUR COMMUNITY, THEN WHO DO U TRUST???
LEADERSHIP IS A SACRIFICE!!! AND IVE COME TO REALIZE THAT, CERTAIN PEOPLE JUST ARENT CALLED TO DO IT!
BELIZE NEED SOME SERIOUS CLEANSING! IT NEEDS TO BE TURNED INSIDE OUT, AND UPSIDE DOWN, MEANING WE NEED NEW LEADERSHIP, IN SOME AREAS, STRICTER LAWS, RULES AND REGULATIONS, MAYBE PEOLE NEED TO BE FIRED, AND MORE TRUSTWORTHY PEOPLE HIRED… JUST WHATEVER IT TAKES TO HELP BELIZE GET BACK ON TRACK
Snippets from the movie “SCARFACE”
Hector the Toad: So, you got the money?
Tony Montana: Yep. You got the stuff?
Hector the Toad: Sure I have the stuff. I don’t have it with me here right now. I have it close by.
Tony Montana: Oh… well I don’t have the money either. I have it close by too.
Hector the Toad: Where? Down in your car?
Tony Montana: [lying] Uh… no. Not in the car.
Hector the Toad: No?
Tony Montana: What about you? Where do you keep your stuff?
Hector the Toad: Not far.
Excellent movie. Sadly, too many of our Belizean youths tend to use Hollywood movies as their life’s mantra.
What wrong with these parents? I mean these boys were barely men, consequence of bad parenting me seh. Parents your children need full attention you brought them into this world show them the way to be good citizens this is the result of bad parenting, bad company bad behavior. honestly I don’t feel for these boys innocent children are being killed else where for no reason at all.
police been tairing up reports, unless someone is dead then they get serious for a minute.
Very sad & disturbing case! The saddest and most disturbing part of it is the shrine the parents have with the 2 blue “read crips” bandanas!
So where will this justice start for these victims!!!!!!!!!! most of all for every citizen every living human being has the right to live in a democratic country without having to fear for your life in your once beautiful safe country weh di govt wahn do ,T he citizens haffi tek this yah one inna dem hand with the GOVT SUPPORT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!wahn start haffi come….RIP TO ALL THE INNOCENT VICTIMS ,PLEASE STOP ALL THIS VIOLENCE TU MUCH SENSELESS CRIME,STOP IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!DAMN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
George Street again! Dangerous!
This ya pm and this gov. Has to go the blood bath keeps getting worse and their is no leadership in the country where is barrow on all these murders where is he I’ll tell you hiding from the public hoping all these murders will be swept under the rug well I say make we march all a we march to the pm house and demand that he step down for incompetence negligence and total lack of leadership resign barrow resign we are now getting close to 200 murders for the year.
And the parents even place their little blue rags by their pics-what family support for that blue gang and then they act surpassed when trouble rears its head? If it was my kids the last thing I would want even in my house would be any gang insignia.
What can you expect from a man who was accused of murder and then was found not guilty. Swan was given a free card to murder again. Swan is laughing at the justice system and showing how much smarter and bigger he think he is. I say to Mr Swan, remember Mr Young, he is now just a memory, a part of Belize’s criminal crap, so shall Mr Swan be, mark this prediction which is based on how the past criminal element met their fate.
Like I’ve said before PARENTS, supervise your child’s conduct, know their FRIENDS & BEHAVIOR, EASY MONEY YIELDS NOTHING BUT QUICK DEATH. The SWAN family is highly incorporated in DRUGS and get away with MURDER, while the police force does a Shoddy job of investigating to get a conviction. Sorry for your lost Espat & Alamilla.
These stupid teens probably found something floating and thought they could sell it and make some easy money.
They did not realize that the people they were going to deal with are killers, who buy and sell a product that is killing the Belizean people, youths and families.
They got killed and robbed because of their stupidity.
These 2 teens were going to poison others with their drugs and got killed in the process.
GOOD 4 THEM
Too bad the drugs are still out there on the street.
You want easy money . . become a politician instead.
Swan family gamble dominoes with all the big UDPs at Brads Finnegan, BQ Pitts, Lindo, Faber Boots every single weekend, can we expect anything else.
WHAT I DONT UNDERSTAND IS, EVERYBODY IS POINTING THE FINGER…..EVEN THE POLICE IN HIS STATEMENT “IT WAS RELATED TO DRUGS”! AS IF BECAUSE IT WAS RELATED TO DRUGS, IT SHOULD BE HAPPENING. NO! YES I AGREE WHEN YOU OPEN THE DOOR TO CERTAIN THINGS IN YOUR LIFE, CONSEQUENCES COME BEHIND IT, BUT THE POINT IS, YOUR THERE TO SERVE, PROTECT, AND PREVENT CRIME FOR HAPPENING…… IT COULD BE RELATED TO RAPE, BURGULARY, ETC……MY POINT IS, NOTHING IS BEING DONE ABOUT ANYTHING THAT IS HAPPENING IN BELIZE……..YOUR QUICK TO CRITICIZE, BUT REALLY NOTHING IS BEING DONE ABOUT THE SITUATION.
I dont wish them bad because we are all humans ( exept rod ). I agree that the parents have a lot to do with it.
Drugs kill, in many ways. I read that one of the boys had marijuana insignia tattooed on his body — what decent parent will allow that, or will not watch his son every minute after that? It was obvious where he was headed, he just got there sooner than was anticipated.
Very sad, but a terrible example of where Belize is headed with leadership that does business with criminals. We need honest measures, and HARSH measures to restore security and sanity in the Jewel, and there is almost nobody in GOB capable and willing to provide them.
Sometimes I feel the decent people will need to pick one day and rise up and clean house, top to bottom, by all means necessary. It’s been done before elsewhere.
The brother who jumped out the vehicle should watch his back now… he will probably be the next target before anything is actually done.
So many children in Belize are raising them selves or having to provide for the woman who had sex and bore them. I see children in Hattieville out of school, pass my house going to the store in the middle of the school day. Many of these kids have a baby on their hip and little ones running barefooetd behind them. When I ask them why they are not in scholl, they say ” me ma make me stay home fo watch the pickeney denh.” Parents are the ones failing their childre, not the children failing the parents. Belize mothers talk curse over their children, you fool, you no wan mount to noting. Parents need to start instilling pride in their children, If they have one dress teach them to wash it and press it . Let us go back to how the children were raised in the 50s and 60s.
How the hell a death treat report go missing in a police station. That is unacceptable. The police should be held responsible the the boys death.
Should everyone get a gun now to protect their kids. I will.
I heard that the swan and a hole load of rasta was circling in a columbian boat with guns back by san pedrito. How can people see this and the police can’t.
As usual they always play the fool. Starting from the ministers.
Rod you are just one big bag of sour rotten corn.
What we need here in Belize is a Death Squad…a special and deadly team of masked mercenaries whos sole duty wud be to clean up Belize City and rid it of all those scum of the earth good for nothing low lifes who terrorize our society on a daily basis with their blatant disregard for human life…u wud be surprised as to how many law abiding citizens wud sign up to join such a group jus to put down these dogs…besides its jus a handful of known criminals in one spcific area causing all this violence…this is very easy to fix…
what so much crimes in Belize and yet nothing much is made about it.!!!!!!!!! Come something has to be done before this gets worst!!!!!!
Many parents know what their children are doing out their, especially the ones trafficking drugs and steeling, but because they are the ones who benefit from it, they turn a blind eye. What they don’t realize is that one day your deeds catch up with you and you are made to pay the price. Ask yourselves, parents, is the “sweet pickings” worth the life of your child???
around 8 days before the murder of this boys happen, eric zwan was arrested and charge for a firearm offence he was remanded to hattiville prison, its even in the news paper, san pedro sun. how is it possible if he was supposed to be remanded like the news paper said, that he was able to kill this boys, perhaps the superintendent of police in san pedro can explain, they let this killer out and let the public and media believe he was locked up,, but mister swan couldnt keep it on the downlow and strike again…..how is it possible for him to kill if he was locked? media should ask the SP police.
5 days after he was declared wanted i saw him riding around the town , went to court and then was out in the night partying.. who police the try fool.
man i cnt judge any one for what bad yall done but all remember for d good n maybe alot of ppl will say wat they want 2 but leechi charlie n much mre friends *R.I.P* most of d murders dat happen in sanpedro are drug related every year tons of coke drifts to belizean territory n alotof ppl wanna find from rich poor teens adults even old ppl its temptation especially youths because not alot of us come fromrich families n every one wants to live rich n have watever they plz butalot of us just have had rough childhoods hanged with bad frenz