A 26-year-old man with a history of severe mental illness has died by suicide while in custody at the Belize Central Prison. He has been identified as Tyreick C. Rodriguez. His passing has prompted renewed calls for systemic reform in the handling of individuals with mental health conditions within the criminal justice system.
Rodriguez’s family shared that his struggles with mental illness began at the age of 15. According to his mother, he experienced a sudden psychological break after returning home from school, and he was never the same again. She believes the onset of his condition may have been linked to substance use.
Rodriguez was recently detained over a minor incident involving a bicycle.
In a statement, she responded to public speculation about her son’s life and her role as a caregiver: “Tyreick was my child, and I fought for him every single day. Addiction is a disease not a flaw in character. We got him treatment. We took him back in time and again. We cried, prayed, and exhausted every option we had. But sometimes, love alone is not enough.”
